


When the Bones Are Good

by sarahkwut



Category: Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018), Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (TV 2018) RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Eventual Happy Ending, Family, Friendship/Love, Happy Ending, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Redemption, Slow Burn, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-03
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:21:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 160,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22996108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarahkwut/pseuds/sarahkwut
Summary: Sabrina Spellman is enjoying her life as a normal teenager. Sabrina Morningstar is reigning Hell with an iron fist. Ambrose Spellman is searching for a solution to bring them back together and close the time loop, Sabrina's wishes be damned. And Nicholas Scratch? He's faced down his own demons and he's desperate for redemption.Except the clock is ticking.On time and Terrors.
Relationships: Harvey Kinkle & Sabrina Spellman, Nicholas Scratch/Sabrina Spellman, Prudence Night/Ambrose Spellman
Comments: 656
Kudos: 362





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Here we go again... This time, I'm writing Part 4. 
> 
> Title inspired by Maren Morris' "The Bones"

_"When the bones are good, the rest don't matter_   
_Yeah, the paint could peel, the glass could shatter_   
_Let it rain 'cause you and I remain the same_   
_When there ain't a crack in the foundation_   
_Baby, I know any storm we're facing_   
_Will blow right over while we stay put_   
_The house don't fall when the bones are good."_

The stack of books around Ambrose Spellman formed a sort of fortress. He could still peer over them if needed, but as one book after another was rendered useless, the wall he was unintentionally building around him became higher.

Despite all of his efforts, all of his knowledge, he continued to come up empty while searching for a solution to his cousin’s latest idea gone wrong. So far, nothing catastrophic had happened but it was only a matter of time. It was _always_ only a matter of time with Sabrina.

Nothing major had happened yet, but the signs were there all the same.

It started with the falling clock in the Spellman kitchen. _Coincidence,_ she had said. _Stop worrying,_ she had insisted. His watch had stopped a few days later. _Change the battery_ she told him with rolled eyes. It wasn’t the battery. The watch ran on magic. It was _her._ Two weeks later, the clocks all stopped at noon. _It’s fine, Ambrose. Everything is all good. Stop worrying._

He was _very_ worried.

And thankful the aunties weren’t home when it happened.

There was also the matter of the weather. It was the end of August, three months past May’s Hare Moon and the events that followed. By all standards, the summer warmth should be giving way to comfortable days, cooler nights as the first hints of September’s autumn crept into Greendale. Instead, the temperature had bounced around for a month now, scorching one day, frigid the next. Anyone up early enough the morning before would have found a light layer of frost awaiting them. The weathermen were at a loss, the aunts curious, but Ambrose was certain of the cause.

Sabrina.

She, too, was exhibiting signs of dangerous change. Sometimes she forgot things that had just happened. She chalked it up to being forgetful and skipped about her day without a care in the world. Other times, she mentioned some event that hadn’t happened yet, only for it to happen minutes later. It was like she was bouncing between past, present, and future in minute increments, the increments growing seemingly larger with each passing day.

Ambrose was growing desperate to find a solution.

Before it was too late.

A shadow fell over his fortress wall. He looked up.

“Scratch.”

Nicholas Scratch stood before him, arms crossed over an expanded chest. He looked desperately serious. He didn’t bother with pleasantries but went straight to his point.

“Something is wrong with Sabrina.”

Ambrose’s heart rate picked up.

“What now?” he asked, half standing, ready to act. “And how? She was just here not fifteen minutes ago...”

Or had it been fifteen minutes? It was impossible to tell.

“Let me amend my statement,” Nick backtracked. “She’s technically fine. But something is wrong with her all the same.”

Ambrose looked at the warlock curiously. He settled back into his chair, leaned on the table, and tented his fingers before him.

“Explain.”

“I just saw her,” Nick reported. “She greeted me all too cheerfully, for one. We weren’t exactly on good terms – before.” Ambrose nodded once. “But then she told me to keep moving, that I didn’t want to get caught up in Melvin’s experiment gone wrong. I was too surprised by – her – to move. Moments later, whatever the Heaven Melvin was doing exploded and covered the annex with frog spawn. Had I not been stopped by her I would be showering off frog guts right now instead of talking to you.”

“Perhaps she’s had a change of heart where you’re concerned and she saw Melvin’s experiment heading south and decided to warn you,” Ambrose tried. It wasn’t the first time he had explained away some of Sabrina’s oddities lately.

“Perhaps.” Nick didn’t look convinced. “But there’s more than that. She’s – different.”

He had Ambrose’s attention now. He had been waiting for someone to notice, and hoped it wasn’t the wrong person who did.

“Different how?” He tried to sound casual, not as desperate as he was.

“Well...” Nick looked a bit uncomfortable. “Her hair. It’s not the same color. It’s more like it was when she first started at the Academy, before her Dark Baptism.” Ambrose nodded. Her hair had gradually darkened. The aunties hadn’t noticed, too used to seeing Sabrina every day, but Nick hadn’t seen her in three months. Of course he had noticed.

“Go on,” he encouraged.

“I don’t know, Ambrose,” Nick shrugged. He still looked uncomfortable, as though he wondered if he should be there. “There was just something – off – about her. She had this weird glossed over look in her eyes. Call me crazy, but I feel like something is wrong with her. I didn’t exactly want to go tell her aunts with nothing to prove my theory and confronting her wasn’t a good idea, so here I am, telling you.”

Ambrose considered Nick. He weighed his options. Nick seemed to sense Ambrose was holding something back. He held his eyes and raised an eyebrow, prompting Ambrose to say something.

Ambrose made his decision.

“Sit down, Nicholas,” he directed. “But before you do, seal us off. Use a soundproofing charm, too.”

Nick’s brow furrowed.

“What’s going on, Ambrose?”

“Don’t dally,” Ambrose replied. “Do your magic and have a seat. Time is of the essence. No pun intended.”

Nick looked as confused as ever but was quick to seal them off and soundproof their bubble. He used an additional bit of magic to draw a chair towards the table, then sat down. Ambrose moved a pile of books aside so he could see the warlock.

“What’s she done now?” Nick asked, appropriately reading the situation for what it was.

“First of all, when did you get back?”

“A few days ago,” Nick dismissed. “What’s going on, Ambrose?”

“You ever seen that movie Back to the Future, Scratch?” Nick frowned.

“I can count the number of movies I’ve seen on one hand,” he stated. “All of which were with Sabrina.” There weren’t televisions at the Academy and he preferred books anyway. “That wasn’t one of them.”

“Next question, then. What do you know about temporal paradoxes?”

“They are a contradiction of the idea of time and time travel,” Nick said easily. “Why?”

“Good to see your brains are back to working at full capacity.” Nick narrowed his eyes, quickly losing patience with Ambrose. Ambrose continued. “Sabrina has found herself in the midst of one.”

“But… How…” Nick’s mind raced, trying to pull all the things he had read about the concept of time from deep recesses of his brain. “Playing with time… That can have catastrophic consequences…” Nick stared at Ambrose. “What did she do, Ambrose? Tell me.”

It wasn’t a request. It was a demand. Under different circumstances, Ambrose might question Nick’s motives. But right now, he needed an ally and Nicholas Scratch had presented himself at the right time.

“To make a very long story in which I am certain I am missing several key components of short, there are two Sabrina’s at large because Heaven forbid she actually go with common sense.”

“Two Sabrinas,” Nick repeated. “Explain, Ambrose.”

“You know Sabrina disappeared in the midst of pagan chaos to go off on some quest for the third piece of holy regalia.” Nick nodded. “Well, she got herself entombed in stone in the ninth circle of Hell alongside the rest of the House of Morningstar for decades, thanks to a dirty trick by Caliban.”

Nick made a face at the mention of Caliban, even as he shook his head.

“No. I mean, I saw her go through the portal, but I went to help her friends and she showed up at the mortal’s disgusting garage moments before the pagans did. She and I teleported everyone to Dorian’s. Then there was Hilda’s resurrection, stopping the Green Man, and running the pagans out of town. Standard day around Greendale.”

“That’s what happened in the version of events you remember,” Ambrose nodded. “But in the, shall we call it the first version of events? you missed out on all of the pagan excitement, not to mention Caliban’s attempts to turn earth into the tenth circle of Hell, because you were dead.”

Nick’s frown deepened.

“Dead? What are you talking about?” He had a very clear memory of the events that unfolded, beginning and ending with his ultimate concern which had been ensuring Sabrina’s safety, be it quietly and in the background because that was all he could do for her at that point. It had been crippling, not being able to fight by her side, but he had still done what he could.

“Sabrina was entombed in Hell by Caliban,” Ambrose repeated. “Earth side, Blackwood showed up at the mortuary and killed Prudence – who had killed Agatha as Agatha was possessed and attacked her – as well as Mambo Marie and Zelda. Zelda, previously, had been shot by Ms. Wardwell – school teacher version of her – for being a witch and Mambo was standing guard over her, waiting for her to make her way back from purgatory or wherever in the Heaven she was. Hilda? She was in the Cain Pit. Long story about the pagans and a curse that turned her into a spider.”

“Blackwood?” Nick struggled to keep up. “But isn’t he the vessel for the Dark Lord?” Chills ran through him at the mention of the demonic man he never wanted to face again.

“They’ve been separated,” Ambrose told him. “That’s a whole other layer to this disaster I haven’t even begun to unpack.”

“All of this and somehow I feel like it’s about to get worse,” Nick commented. He squirmed a bit, uneasy with the idea of Satan wandering around freely. Ambrose continued.

“Meanwhile, at Kinkle’s garage, Robin was explaining the pagans’ plan and need for a sacrificial virgin. How did you end up there anyway? I’ve wondered about that. Frankly, you consorting amongst the mortals was the last place I expected you to be.”

“I got an SOS message on my hand,” Nick answered, hoping Ambrose didn’t question him too much about his motives. “Sabrina charmed markers so we could send each other notes.” His was in his nightstand drawer. He had never used it. “I was watching the bar for Dorian and saw her go through the portal. I knew she wouldn’t be back for a while, so I went to see what the problem was.”

In his version of things, Sabrina had shown up moments later. Apparently, that’s not what had happened. Or it had happened, but not the first time. Or something. He was having a hard time tracking.

“Glossing right over why you went in the first place because I don’t have time to dissect that, the pagans showed up, overpowered you, and pretty much killed you and Robin right away.” A different sort of chill went through Nick. “Then, they tied up Theo and Roz, sacrificed Harvey as the virgin,” Nick couldn’t help but snort at the mention of Harvey’s virginity. Ambrose smirked just a little. “The Green Man came to life, everyone died except me, and decades later, I found Sabrina snooping around the remains of the carnival.”

“So, all of this happens, and you survive?” Nick clarified.

“Prudence died in my arms,” Ambrose told him. It was still painful to talk about, even if it hadn’t ultimately happened. “Her dying wish was that I stop him. I left her, Blackwood killed my family. I managed to seal off the mines and lived there when the pagans attacked, scavenging when I could and expecting to die at any minute.”

“And then Sabrina showed up.”

Nick found he believed every word Ambrose told him, however wild it sounded. That’s how it happened with Sabrina – the more unbelievable something was, the more likely it was to be true.

“From her vague explanation of things, she was awoken or whatever you call it by – herself,” Ambrose nodded. “A second Sabrina appeared, told her she had to go save Greendale, and they switched places with the explicit instructions to meet back and switch again to complete the loop. Of course, the two halves had the same terrible idea and now one is running around Greendale fronting as a teenager while the other is likely drunk on power as Hell’s queen.”

“She’s trying to have her cake and eat it too,” Nick summarized. “With no regard for the repercussions.”

“You do know her well,” Ambrose surmised.

“And I’d bet her aunts are none the wiser.”

“Of course not,” Ambrose confirmed. “Until now, I was the only person who knew of this utter nonsense.”

Nick sighed and rubbed his temple.

“So, there’s an earthly Sabrina and a Hell Sabrina.” Ambrose nodded. “We need them to merge back together and close the time loop. Which still leaves Sabrina possibly trapped in stone.”

“What a day it is when the part where we get her out of stone is the easiest of the tasks,” Ambrose sighed. “But yes. We need to merge them together. Problem is, she has no interest in doing so whatsoever. I have a feeling the Hell bound version of her would be even less enthused by the idea.”

“Hell does something to her,” Nick shook his head. “It makes her – not her.”

He didn’t say anymore. Ambrose merely nodded his agreement.

“How much time do we have, do you think?” Nick asked after a beat of silence. “No pun intended, to borrow what I now know was a very bad joke from you earlier.”

“I’m not sure,” Ambrose admitted. “It’s been three months. The signs that something is brewing become more apparent by the day.”

“The weather,” Nick realized. “That’s Sabrina.” He remembered something. “My watch stopped the other day, right at noon. I tapped the face and it started up again, but it was odd.”

“Sabrina,” Ambrose confirmed. “Although if you were to ask her, you simply need to replace the battery.”

“Except my watch runs on magic...”

“As does mine,” Ambrose nodded. “But more than that, I’m afraid the earthbound Sabrina is becoming more and more mortal as the days pass.”

“Her hair,” Nick realized. “It’s like she’s going back in time.”

“It’s other things, too,” Ambrose continued. “Her mannerisms, some of her recent choices. I imagine if she’s reverting to mortal on earth, the Hell version of her is growing more powerful by the day.” The thought of Hell Sabrina with more power made Nick’s stomach give a nervous sort of flip. “You should know, Scratch, that she’s dating Harvey Kinkle again.”

Nick couldn’t quite meet Ambrose’s eye. It was his once worst fear realized. He had bigger fears now – and still bigger ones now that he was aware that his instinct that something was wrong with Sabrina was proven true. But was a fear all the same.

“Hell her is probably shacking up with Caliban,” he said. “Seriously – her cake and eating it too.”

There was no denying his jealousy. Again, Ambrose didn’t comment.

“How can I help?” he asked Ambrose. “What can I do?”

“I’ve been searching for anything I can find on time loops, time travel, anything remotely related to the concept,” Ambrose indicated the books. “So far, I’ve come up empty handed in my search to figure out how to close a loop without causing mass destruction in its wake, particularly when the two parties involved want no parts in closing it to begin with.”

“I’ll help,” Nick nodded. “We’ll figure it out, Ambrose.”

“I don’t think we have much time,” Ambrose told him. “Not at all.”

“We’ll figure it out,” Nick said again. His stomach did another nervous roll. “Sabrina’s actions have consequences. She needs to figure that out. But we can’t let something happen to her.”

“You currently have more faith than I do, Scratch,” Ambrose sighed. “But if you’re offering your help, I won’t turn it down.”

Nick surveyed the pile of books surrounding Ambrose.

“You may know this library well, but I don’t think there is anyone that knows the sanctum like I do. If there are answers, that’s probably where they are. I’ll start there.”

“I’ll keep looking here,” Ambrose nodded. He considered Nick for a long moment with a curious sort of expression. “Where did you go anyway, Scratch?”

“Here and there,” Nick answered, elusive on purpose. He stood and made to leave, waving his hand to break the spells he had cast.

“Nicholas.” Nick stopped and looked back at Ambrose. “Did Prudence…” He didn’t finish his question, but Nick knew what he was asking.

“No,” he shook his head. “We left together, but we separated early on. I haven’t seen or talked to her in two months.”

“Just as well,” Ambrose sighed.

“I’m sorry, Ambrose,” Nick said with genuine empathy. He certainly knew how the warlock felt. “She’s working through something. We have to let her.” Something else he understood too well. Ambrose only nodded. “I’ll be in the sanctum if you find anything.”

“I appreciate your help, Nicholas. And your discretion.”

“Of course,” Nick answered. He let a moment pass. “It’s… Sabrina.”

He left then, leaving Ambrose alone once more.

It was of some comfort, to have an ally.

But the odds still felt insurmountable.

Maybe this really would be the time there was no saving Sabrina.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now the story really starts to get going...

“First day of September and it’s snowing,” Hilda clucked. “What in the Heaven is happening?”

“The weatherman says it’s the earliest it has ever snowed in Connecticut,” Cee commented between bites of pancakes. “They can’t explain it. It was 65 yesterday.”

“It’s odd,” Ambrose agreed. He looked across the table at Sabrina. “You wouldn’t know anything about it, would you cousin?”

She narrowed her eyes at him.

“Why would I know anything about the weather, Ambrose?” she retorted

“Well, love, you have been known to snap your fingers change the weather from rain to shine,” Hilda joked. Sabrina frowned.

“When did I do that?” she wondered

Ambrose and Hilda both looked at her, Hilda with confusion, Ambrose with something closer to concern. Sabrina smiled a little too brightly and shook her head.

“I was only joking,” she insisted. “This snow? Not me.” She shoved a big bite of pancake in her mouth.

“Hmph,” Ambrose snorted. Sabrina glared at him. He glared right back.

“I’m sure there’s just something odd going on with the cold fronts,” Hilda dismissed. “More pancakes, anyone? I need to be getting to the Academy soon. You know how Zelda is when I’m late.”

“And I need to be getting to the diner,” Cee agreed, finishing off the last of his breakfast. “Shall we, my sweet Hilda?”

“We shall,” Hilda confirmed. She kissed first Sabrina’s head, then Ambrose’s. “Behave yourselves today, loves. I’ll see you both at the Academy later.”

Ambrose waited until he was certain Hilda and Cee were gone.

“Cousin.”

“What Ambrose?” she avoided eye contact.

“The weather.”

“It’s cold out,” Sabrina advised. “I’d wear a coat today if I were you.”

“Sabrina.

“I’m not responsible for it snowing, Ambrose.”

“You are.”

“Are not.”

“Are too.”

“Are not!”

They stared at one another from opposite ends of the table.

“Sabrina, you have got to end this,” he said for what had to be the thousandth time. “This will only come to disaster.”

“Everything is fine, Ambrose,” Sabrina insisted. “I’m getting to live my life as a teenager…”

“Without your best friend,” Ambrose interrupted. The flash of hurt he expected to see from Sabrina didn’t occur.

“Roz will come around,” she said after a beat. “Like I said, I’m getting to live my life here while the other Sabrina rules Hell. Everyone wins.”

“Literally only you win,” Ambrose countered, emphasizing his point with wild hand gestures. “Don’t you see that, Sabrina? There is no scenario in which any of us win except you. And even you will lose when this inevitably blows up.”

“You have no faith, Ambrose.”

“You don’t remember snapping your fingers to change the weather,” he countered.

“Yes I do,” Sabrina argued. “It was just so long ago that I forgot.”

“Hardly,” Ambrose scoffed. “You’re being selfish, Sabrina. You don’t want to choose between your family and Hell, and you know you have to. Too many people have sacrificed for you for you to take advantage of them like this.”

“Who am I taking advantage of?” Sabrina countered. “The aunties didn’t want me to move to Hell, so I didn’t. I couldn’t give up my throne and let Caliban rule, so I didn’t. This is the best-case scenario for all of us.”

“This is the actual worst-case scenario,” Ambrose pushed. He decided to try another tactic. “Nicholas Scratch is back.”

Surprise at his shift in topic crossed Sabrina’s features.

“What’s he got to do with anything?”

“I thought you might like to know. Although you did cross paths with him the other day from what I hear.”

“Why would I care that he’s returned?” Sabrina pressed. Ambrose couldn’t tell if she was deliberately lying, trying to pretend his return didn’t affect her, or, another worst-case scenario, if she had truly forgotten his role in her life, at least to some degree. “We broke up. He broke up with me, to be exact. Whether he’s here or elsewhere doesn’t matter.”

There was a knock on the front door before it opened. A moment later, Harvey Kinkle appeared.

“Hi Sabrina,” he greeted. He gave Ambrose a more cautious nod. He had the correct assumption that Ambrose didn’t quite like him. He could never seem to fully disguise his discomfort around the warlock. Or Sabrina’s aunts, for that matter, although Hilda wasn’t too bad. “Ambrose.”

“Hi Harvey,” Sabrina greeted brightly. Ambrose only gave Harvey a bored sort of glance. “Ready to go? We’re running a few minutes late.”

“We are?” Harvey looked at his watch. “Huh. My watch stopped. Battery must have died.”

“Imagine that,” Ambrose muttered. Sabrina shot him a deadly look.

“Ambrose, I’ll see you at the Academy later,” she picked up her bag from where she had dropped it next to her chair, her tone daring him to contradict her. “Harvey? Let’s go.” Harvey put an arm around her shoulders and they left, the door closing with a soft click behind them.

“I think I might hate her,” Ambrose said to the empty room. “I really think I might.”

With a frustrated scuff of his foot, he gathered his things. Another day, another search for how to fix everything Sabrina had set on its ear. If and when this was over, he and Sabrina were going to have a very long talk. Because if Nicholas Scratch was right about anything, it was the fact that she had to learn: her actions had consequences.

And those consequences affected everyone.

* * *

Nick massaged his temples, the ancient words blurring on the page before him. It was only late morning, but he had been in the sanctum for hours, systematically reading through every book that might have even a hint of a reference of time travel, time paradoxes, or anything else remotely in the realm of whatever it was Sabrina had done.

This wasn’t the return to Greendale he had planned on. He had thought he would float in under the radar and quietly adjust to being back at the Academy while sizing up the status of the town and everyone in it. He thought he would have time to plot his next move, map out how he was going to approach the task ahead of him.

It had started off as planned. Which, given Greendale, should have been his first clue that things were going to veer wildly off track sooner rather than later. Then he had crossed paths with Sabrina, noted her changing hair, odd expression, and her seemingly newfound ability to predict the future, and let his instincts take him right to Ambrose who had revealed the worst.

His motives for returning to the town that had wrecked him were still the same, albeit their priorities had shifted. Right now, his sole concern was finding a way to help Sabrina. Sabrina, who probably had no idea what she had done because she never thought before she acted. Sabrina, who hadn’t been the girl he fell in love with when he left Greendale. Sabrina, who had fought so hard for him when he had continued to hurt her over and over again. He had to help her. Because deep down in the very pit of his gut, he knew there was more going on with her than a desire for power and to be the Queen of Hell.

He sat back in his chair, thinking over everything he knew about whatever had transpired in the ninth circle of Hell. He theorized on what would happen should they find a way to meld the two Sabrina’s back together. Mostly, he wondered why everything had to be so damned hard with her.

“I need some air,” he muttered to himself after a while. The darkness of the sanctum had started to feel suffocating. He didn’t worry with hiding his work – no one aside from Ambrose would come there anyway – and left the Academy. He set out on a walk through the woods, no destination in mind, his brain still humming away. Without ever meaning to, he found himself at Dorian’s. He turned, intent on heading in the other direction, but a thought occurred to him and he found his way inside.

“Ah, Nicholas Scratch!” Dorian greeted. “What can I get you? The usual?”

“I’m not here for drink, drug, or demon,” Nick replied, although he couldn’t quite deny the familiar feeling of need for the liquid that burned, the substances that helped him forget. He doubted the want would ever go away completely. “I’m in the mood for browsing your art collection.”

Dorian looked suspicious.

“Since when are you a patron of the arts, Scratch?”

“I’ve always had a certain appreciation for them.” Not entirely a lie. He hadn’t spent a lot of time studying art, but he had always had a faint appreciation for the subject. He wandered towards a grotesque painting on the wall, took in its details. He was fully aware of Dorian watching him as he progressed around the room, purposefully taking his time as he made it to his ultimate destination. As he stood before the photo disguising the portal Sabrina disappeared into, he tucked his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “How did you end up with so much artwork, Dorian?”

“I’ve lived a long time, Mr. Scratch,” Dorian drawled. “I’ve collected a lot of art over the years. I do like the finer things in life, after all.”

“Do all of these paintings hide secret portals?” Nick tilted his head towards the portrait in front of him. “Or just this one?”

“Whatever are you talking about, Nicky?” Dorian tried to sound innocent.

“Save it, Dorian,” Nick spat. “I saw Sabrina walk through this on her damned quest for the Holy Regalia.”

“Then you know at least one of them is a portal, don’t you?”

Nick glared at him. Dorian looked right back, unconcerned and yet challenging him all the same. Slowly, Nick’s features shifted back towards a more curious expression. Something about Dorian nagged at him, but he couldn’t place it.

“What’s your story anyway, Dorian?” he asked.

“You know my story, Scratch. A forever young, forever handsome warlock.”

“Where are you from?” Nick pressed.

“Everywhere,” Dorian shrugged.

“How did you end up in Greendale?” Dorian wasn’t a member of their coven. Of that, Nick was certain.

“Every coven needs a bartender.”

Nick continued to study him.

“You’re hiding something,” he finally said. Dorian raised an eyebrow.

“Aren’t we all?”

He turned his back to Nick and busied himself with polishing his already sparkling goblets.

With one last look at Dorian, Nick shook his head and exited the bar. He was quick to return to the Academy and found Ambrose in his usual spot in the heart of the library. He set the seal and soundproofing charm in place with a wave of his hand and a mutter as he fell into a chair.

“I’m hoping you’re here with good news,” Ambrose greeted.

“I’ve got nothing,” Nick admitted. “But I’ve been thinking…”

“Go on,” Ambrose encouraged.

“First, where did the second Sabrina come from? Who conjured her? You were apparently the only one of us still alive.”

“I have no idea,” Ambrose held his arms up. “I’ve asked myself that question over and over every single day. I don’t have a clue as to where she came from.”

“The answer I expected,” Nick nodded once. “So that leads me to this. We don’t know where she came from, but would it stand to reason that the earth version of Sabrina is the conjured one?”

“It would, actually,” Ambrose said after a beat. “I can’t believe I didn’t think about that myself.”

It made sense if he followed her timeline. The conjured Sabrina had traded places with the entombed Sabrina who had in turn saved the world. The conjured Sabrina had stepped out of the stone instead of waiting for the real Sabrina, the Sabrina that had been so intent on ruling Hell. There was no way to be entirely sure, but it was the best assumption they had.

“We need to question her,” Nick said with absolute certainty. Ambrose looked at him as though he had sprouted a second head.

“Question her?” he repeated. “As though I haven’t tried that. She doesn’t answer. Or when she does, it’s half-truths.”

“Have you questioned her with truth serum?” Nick continued.

Again, Ambrose stared at him.

“For all your reformed pretenses, you still have an edge about you, don’t you, Scratch?” he wondered.

“I’m trying to help her,” Nick stated. “We need to get truth serum in her, then find out everything we can, including confirming if she’s the conjured version of herself.”

“And how do you suppose we deliver this dose of truth serum?” Ambrose asked.

“Spike her food,” Nick shrugged. “Hold her down and pour it down her throat if that doesn’t work. We need answers, and she’s got them. At least some of them.” Ambrose mulled it over. “It’s for her own good, Ambrose. I don’t want to hurt her. Heaven knows I’ve done enough of that. I don’t want to force truth serum on her. But we’re not getting anywhere reading books.”

Ambrose sighed in defeat.

“You’re right,” he admitted. “We need answers and we’re not getting them from the written word. I’ll have to brew some – it’ll take three days – then I’ll find a way to get it in her and we’ll question her.

Nick nodded his approval.

“I’m sure it will be fun, trying to question her,” Ambrose continued. “She’ll have to tell the truth, but she won’t do it quietly.” He sighed. “She’s out of control, Nicholas. Truth serum won’t stop her from being combative.”

“She’s not Sabrina,” Nick shook his head. “She hasn’t been in a while.” He left it there. He leaned forward and rested his arms on the table between him and Ambrose. He spoke before Ambrose could inquire about his comment. “What do you know about Dorian Gray?”

“Dorian Gray?” Ambrose repeated. “He’s an excellent bartender with a lot of questionable connections. He’s your guy if you want something illegal or difficult to find.”

Nick nodded his agreement in slow even bobs, clearly pondering something.

“But what else do you know about him? Do you know where he came from, why he’s in Greendale?”

“No idea. Never asked. Didn’t seem important. Why?”

Nick sat back in his chair again.

“I was there earlier…” Ambrose cut him a sharp look. “Not for that,” he shook his head. “I wanted to take a look at the portrait Sabrina went through. It hit me that I don’t know anything about him, yet here he is, housing this bar full of illicit activities and paintings that aren’t as they seem.”

He couldn’t put his finger on what it was about Dorian, but in the moment in which Dorian had held his eyes, he had felt – something. He couldn’t define it, couldn’t put a label on it, but something about Dorian Gray had made him question what little he knew about the bartender.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to address your curiosities about Dorian on your own,” Ambrose decided. “I haven’t the time nor the brain capacity to worry about anything that’s not dual Sabrina related.”

“It’s just a thought,” Nick said. “I think I’ll go back to the sanctum. The books aren’t answering us so far, but who knows? Maybe one of us will find something.”

A chiming filled the room. Once, twice, three times. On and on. Twelve in total. Nick frowned.

“The clock just chimed twelve times.”

“It did,” Ambrose confirmed heavily.

“It’s three in the afternoon.”

“It is.”

“Dammit, Sabrina,” Nick muttered. “I wonder…” He jerked his head as a thought occurred to him. “Follow me.” Ambrose obliged. They wound through the maze of the library and ended up at the far wall at one of the only windows in the Academy. It was cloaked with a heavy curtain to keep the sun from damaging the ancient books housed within the school’s collection. Nick pulled the fabric back. “Just what I thought.”

It was as black as night outside, even if it was supposed to be the middle of the afternoon.

“Heaven help us,” Ambrose breathed.

“Heaven?” Nick questioned his use of the mortal phrase.

“Hell certainly isn’t the answer, is it?” Ambrose countered.

Nick couldn’t dispute him.

“This is Sabrina,” he said as he looked out the window. The darkness was so heavy and thick that he couldn’t see much past the windowpane. There was no moon, no stars. Just darkness. “We’re running out of time, Ambrose. Maybe literally.”

“If she denies this, if she tries to tell me it was an eclipse or something bizarre, I’m going to kill her,” Ambrose declared. He turned on his heel. “I’m going to find her. Coming Scratch?”

Nick wavered for a moment, then shook his head.

“You go ahead. I won’t help the situation. Let me know what you find out.”

Ambrose considered him.

“You don’t want her to know you know,” he realized.

“I don’t want her to know I’m involved,” Nick confirmed. “I know she’ll likely figure it out, but if it’s at all possible, I want to keep her in the dark about my involvement in this.”

“Why?” Ambrose questioned.

Nick was careful as he formed his response.

“She was there for me when she shouldn’t have been. She fought for me. I…” He hesitated, not sure how much Ambrose knew of their breakup. “I just don’t want her to know,” he said again. “Please, Ambrose. Let me help her from the shadows, at least for as long as I can.”

Ambrose nodded. It wasn’t his place to know Nick’s reasons.

“I’ll let you know what happens.”

“Thank you.”

He left.

Nick perched on the windowsill. His reasons for hiding his involvement from Sabrina were complicated. He couldn’t quite make sense of them himself. There was the fear of rejection for one, that she wouldn’t want him around. He had known as soon as he used the word “friends” that it was the wrong thing to say, the final nail in the coffin he had built for their relationship. They could never be friends. It was all or nothing with them. She wouldn’t want him in her orbit now, not after that on top of everything else.

But more than that, he owed her his help. He wasn’t fool enough to think she didn’t owe him an apology in her own right, but he had said things to her that he would never be able to take back. He had come a long way since he told her he needed space, but the fact remained that he was still ashamed of his behavior. That shame had changed, but it was still very much there. He had told her she wasn’t worth it, that he hated her. He had cheated on her. He had lied to her over and over again. He couldn’t fathom how such awful things had come from his mouth.

There was one thing he hadn’t lied about, however, and that was what he clung to.

That is what got him to push away from the windowsill, take a deep breath, and return to the sanctum in hopes that he would find the answers they so desperately needed.

* * *

Ambrose tore into the mortuary in a whirlwind of fury.

“Sabrina!” he bellowed. “Sabrina! Show yourself! Now!”

“I’m here.”

Her voice was small, soft. Ambrose skidded to a stop. She sat on the staircase, hands clasped, looking worried. He spared her no grace.

“Pitch black in the middle of the afternoon! Clocks striking the witching hour! If you even try…”

“I know, Ambrose!” Her desperation cut through his tirade. “I know! The last bell rang at school and I met Harvey at my locker. I went to kiss him and everything went black!”

“Because you screwed with time!” Ambrose swung his arms wildly. “This isn’t a game anymore, Sabrina. This isn’t you, trying to have it all. This is our world threatened, once again, because of something you have done. Or as it is, not done.”

“It’s daylight again,” she pointed out. “The darkness didn’t last long.”

“You’re lucky the aunties are at the Academy and that it is scarce on windows! They likely have no clue what happened, not yet at least. I’m sure the mortals are humming about it, though. You’re risking exposing our kind on top of everything else!”

“It could have been an…”

“If you say ‘eclipse’ I will end you right now,” Ambrose threatened. Sabrina thought he might mean it and thought better of trying to tell Ambrose it was, in fact, an eclipse. “Why are you doing this? What are you motives behind keeping us all hanging on the precipice of ruin so you don’t have to choose between being a Spellman or a Morningstar?”

“Why is it so wrong of me to want to be both?” Sabrina asked. “Why can’t I have both?”

There was a desperation to her question that concerned Ambrose.

“You never wanted to be queen,” he reminded her. “But suddenly, it was the most important thing in the world to you. Why?”

Sabrina thought about his question. She found she didn’t have an answer. Still, she tried to give one, so as not to allow Ambrose the satisfaction of being right.

“I became queen to save Nicholas,” she reminded him. A dark look crossed her face. “He clearly appreciated my efforts.”

Ambrose recalled Nick saying Sabrina wasn’t herself, that she hadn’t been in a while. He had intended to ask the warlock what he meant, but Nick had plowed on and then the clock rang out.

“I’m not sure you appreciated his efforts,” Ambrose countered, feeling an odd surge of defensiveness on behalf of the warlock. “But this isn’t about Nick. This stopped being about Nicholas the moment we got him out of Hell. What is driving you to such drastic lengths? Why are you so Heaven bent on being the queen of a realm you claim to hate?”

“It’s my birthright…”

“I understand daddy issues better than most, but you were not brought up without love,” Ambrose reminded her. “And what of you and Harvey? Don’t you see it, Sabrina? You can’t be with him. You never could be with him. I thought you had realized that!”

“I can be with him!” she insisted. “I love him!”

“Perhaps you do,” Ambrose nodded. “But he can’t live in our world. He might have stepped up to the plate to help you go to Hell, but what you have done since then? He’s not made to stand up to this sort of witchcraft. He was perfectly happy with Roz, moving on, enjoying his life. Then you swooped right back in and wrecked your longest, dearest friendship in the process. Again for purely selfish reasons.”

“I’m not selfish…”

“You are the very definition of selfish!” Ambrose bellowed. “I am tired of it, Sabrina! I am tired of being the one who constantly cleans up your messes because you think you know best or you aren’t willing to make a choice or else don’t like the choices in front of you. I used to admire your tenacity. Now I loathe to see you coming!”

Sabrina’s eyes grew big as Ambrose released the feelings he had long kept at bay.

“Ambrose…”

“All I wanted after our jaunt to find Father Blackwood was some peace and quiet. To be the Academy’s librarian by day and come home to Prudence at night. But no. I got sucked into yet another catastrophe where you were involved and by the end of it, I’ve got a broken heart and a literal ticking time bomb, not to mention an at large Blackwood.”

“Ambrose, I’m sorry…”

“I don’t want to hear it,” he cut her off. “Your apologies carry no weight, not anymore. You’ve left a path of destruction behind you and by the end of this, I daresay you will be the only one standing. Because that’s what all of this about, isn’t it? You.”

The cousins stared at one another, Ambrose heaving for breath, Sabrina clutching her hands to try to control the shaking.

“I didn’t mean for any of this to happen,” she said quietly.

“Well, it did,” Ambrose said. “You chose for it to.” He dragged a hand down his face. “I’m going – somewhere. I don’t want to see you right now. Do try to stay out of trouble?”

He left nearly as quick as he came.

Sabrina dropped her head to her hands.

She knew this was a bad idea. She had known it when she made the decision with her other half to stay split. She had done it anyway, for purely selfish reasons as Ambrose had pointed out quite clearly. Try as she was to pull it off, to make it all look like it made sense, she not only saw the ramifications of her decision, but felt them. It often felt like she wasn’t totally in control of her emotions, her decisions. More and more she was forgetting things or else thinking something had already happened when it hadn’t.

Just that day she had asked Harvey if he was relieved their geometry teacher pushed their test back a day due to a printer malfunction. He reminded her they hadn’t had geometry yet, that as far as he knew, the test was still scheduled. She had lied and chalked it up to her own witch-y talents when he asked her later how she had known. But she had sworn she could remember them having the conversation about the canceled test briefly between classes.

She wondered how her counterpart in Hell was doing.

She debated.

She knew she shouldn’t do it.

It was far too risky.

If the Dark Lord or Lilith or really, any of Hell’s inhabitants, saw her, there would be actual Hell to pay.

Naturally, she stood and left the mortuary.

“Ah, Ms. Spellman,” Dorian greeted when she blew into the bar. “What brings you by now? Another portal? More angel blood?”

“Just visiting Hell,” she replied, trying to sound casual.

“Really? I thought you gave up your throne.”

There was something about his tone that put her on guard.

“I did,” she said. “But I’m still interested in its – politics.”

“Right.”

She and Dorian stared at each other. She looked away first.

“I’ll be back,” she declared. She hoped she would, at least. She disappeared through the portal and found herself in Pandemonium. She was careful as she crept through the still familiar cavernous hallways. Using the stone for cover, she hid herself to observe court.

“You did well today, daughter,” Lucifer said from his throne.

“Of course I did.”

Sabrina frowned. It was odd, watching herself, all decked out in an elaborate gown, handmaidens swirling around her, waiting for her to need absolutely anything. She herself was perched on a similar golden throne. Lucifer chuckled.

“So sure of yourself,” he drawled. “You do make your daddy proud, all self-confident and unafraid of your destiny. To see how you’ve embraced your role… I didn’t know such pleasure existed.”

“I was made for this,” Hell Sabrina said in a voice that lacked emotion. “Despite my initial hesitations I find I quite like the power. The dragging of souls, in particular.”

“It does seem to be your forte,” Lucifer agreed. He practically glowed with praise. “We have even more souls to drag tomorrow.”

“Wonderful,” Sabrina nodded, a twisted smile forming on her ruby lips, one of the only parts of the girl that looked somehow exactly like her and nothing at all like her. “Now, where is Lilith? Lilith!”

Sabrina pressed herself even deeper into the shadows of the stone, transfixed on the scene before her. Queen Sabrina looked like her. She even sounded a bit like her. But she was – different. Cold. Calculating. Enjoyed dragging souls. A shiver went down her spine, an oddity in a place as hot as Hell.

“You called, Your Highness?”

Lilith looked worse for the wear. Gone where her elaborate outfits and even her red lipstick. She was clearly their slave now, no longer a regent, barely allowed to exist. Earthly Sabrina felt a pang of pity for her, but Hell Sabrina seemed to have no regards.

“Yes. I’ve finished my work for the day. I’d like my dinner brought to me in my quarters, followed by a proper bath and turn down.”

There was no please, no thank you. Just a barked order.

“Right away, Your Highness.” Lilith slinked away, but not before Sabrina caught the look of loathing in the woman’s eye. She could hardly blame her. She didn’t much like what she saw either.

“I do think I might miss her when you get rid of her,” the queen said to Lucifer. Satan was busy picking at his nails.

“Don’t fret, dear daughter. Daddy will find you another pet. One far better suited to your whims.”

Queen Sabrina looked smug.

Earthly Sabrina felt nauseous.

She had seen enough.

She was quiet and careful as she made her way back to Dorian’s. Once safely on the other side of the portrait, she drank in the fresh air, realizing for the first time how clean it was – even at Dorian’s.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” came Dorian’s voice.

“Something like that,” Sabrina gasped for a breath of the fresh air. “Have you seen Ambrose by chance?” She needed to see him, apologize, tell him what she knew about Hell. Perhaps, maybe, he was right. She needed to end this time loop – even if it meant her stuck in stone for eternity.

“I haven’t seen a soul since Nicholas wandered in earlier this afternoon.”

Sabrina frowned.

“Nicholas was here?” she demanded. “He’s not drinking again, is he?”

“He did not stop by for, as he well put it, ‘drink, drugs, or demons.’ He was more intent to browse the artwork and question my existence.”

“Browse the artwork?” Sabrina latched on. “Why?”

“Who knows?” Dorian shrugged. “Nicholas has always been a bit hard to read. Enough about him though. Can I interest you in some absinthe? I stocked up when Nicky was draining me of it daily. Now I can’t seem to move it. You’ll notice business isn’t booming.”

That struck up another thought.

“Why are you still open?” she asked. “Most of the coven is gone, and those that remain aren’t exactly trying to leave the safety of the Academy just yet.”

“Duty calls,” Dorian shrugged. “Absinthe?”

Sabrina rolled her eyes and left in a huff. She was halfway home when she suddenly stopped.

“Where am I going?” she asked herself. She looked around. Everything was familiar and yet – she couldn’t quite place her surroundings. She shook her head and the cobwebs seemed to clear. She continued along, climbing the stairs to the mortuary a few minutes later. Hilda greeted her as she entered.

“Hello, dear! Just in time!”

“For what?” Sabrina wondered.

“Cee and I are sampling cakes for our wedding! I’ll want your opinion, of course. I’ve been baking all day, sneaking in a cake here, a cake there when I could pop away from the Academy long enough.”

“Wedding?” Sabrina questioned. “You’re getting married?”

Hilda looked surprised.

“Well, yes, love. Cee proposed, you know that. I’ve told you the story several times now. You helped me pick out linens just two days ago.”

“Of course,” Sabrina shook her head. “Sorry, Hilda. Long day.”

She couldn’t remember any of it. There was something in the back of her mind, a debate about white or off white, but she could just barely recall it. She did remember something else, however, and grabbed on to it.

“Your dress! It’s absolutely stunning, all that lace…”

Hilda frowned.

“I haven’t settled on a dress just yet.” She peered at Sabrina in concern. “Dear, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Sabrina said a little too quickly. “School, cheerleading, you know how it is.”

“Right.” Hilda didn’t look convinced. “If you want to pop up to your room and rest…”

“I want to try the cake,” she said, putting on her brightest, bravest smile. Something was happening to her, and she didn’t understand it. “But first – Ambrose isn’t around, is he?”

“Haven’t seen him,” Hilda shook her head. “I’m sure he’ll be home soon, however. Dinner isn’t too far off – don’t tell Zelda I’m letting you have cake before dinner – and you know Ambrose never misses a meal.”

Without another word, Sabrina followed her aunt to the kitchen where Cee was waiting with his usual cheerful greeting. She put on a bright smile and settled to the table, but even as she sampled slice after slice of cake, it was all she could do to make sense of what had transpired over the last couple of hours. Just as suddenly as she had forgotten about Hilda’s wedding, she remembered it. Hilda’s excitement, the half dozen times she had told the story of their proposal, the lengthy debate over table clothes. It was all there, like it had never left.

Time didn’t make sense anymore.

And she knew, even if she didn’t want to admit it, that she was entirely to blame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we've got Nicholas with a bit of mystery around him and potentially ulterior motives. We've got Sabrina who is just literally all over the place. And Ambrose - he's had enough. I feel like his blow up at Sabrina had a long time coming. Oh, and let's not forget Dorian. Hell-bound Sabrina. And Sabrina and Roz are no longer friends, obviously. 
> 
> A whole lot happened in Greendale - and outside of it - in the span of three months, didn't it? 
> 
> Don't worry - Nick and Sabrina interaction coming SOON. 
> 
> Any guesses as to what Nick is up to? Or why he was so curious about Dorian? Or the story in general? I love love love reading your theories! Comments are always appreciated!


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we're all Team Ambrose? If that's so, we may want to erect an Ambrose statue after his defense of one warlock. And shall we get a glimpse of Sabrina in Hell?

Nick felt good.

The run through Greendale’s woods had been exactly what he needed. The weather was crisp, perhaps a bit cooler than normal for early September but still not abnormal, a good sign, all things considered. It had been a peaceful couple of days since the mid-afternoon midnight fell and while he and Ambrose hadn’t made progress, the truth serum was nearly ready. Soon, Nick hoped, they would have answers of some sort.

He was so wrapped up in his run that he didn’t notice Sabrina on the Academy steps until he was upon her. He slowed to a walk, aware that she had seen him. There was no abandoning his goal of returning to his room to shower and turning back into the woods until she was gone. He had to face her.

She pretended to read a book – a mortal story, he noted – as he approached.

“Sabrina,” he greeted carefully. She looked up, acting as though she had seen him for the first time.

“Nicholas,” she replied in a neutral tone. He was in athletic wear. She didn’t think she had ever seen him in something aside from his usual polished clothing or else down to his boxer briefs. She recalled vaguely how in the last days of their relationship his style had shifted to something more casual, less buttoned down. A little messy, likely a reflection of his interior struggles.

Not that it mattered to her what he wore.

“Skipping mortal school?” he asked.

“Something like that,” she admitted. She couldn’t tell him that she had gone to Baxter High that morning fully dressed in her cheerleading uniform. By the time the lunchtime performance rolled around, she had forgotten the routine she was the star of and had to feign sudden sickness. Roz had given her an odd look but hadn’t said anything. Roz hadn’t exactly spoken to her in weeks though.

“Hiding out at the Academy might not be the smartest way to keep your aunts from finding out.”

“They’re busy.” They were always busy. It was beneficial to her that they were, given her current predicament. She couldn’t help but question him. “Since when do you go on runs?”

“It’s a recently acquired habit.” He gave her a polite nod. “I’ll see you around, Sabrina.” He started past her, but he couldn’t not note how much more golden her hair was. He stopped at the door. “Sabrina?” She looked over her shoulder at him. “I liked your old hair better.”

Confusion colored her features.

“I haven’t changed my hair.”

Nick raised an eyebrow. There wasn’t a trace of her white blonde hair to be found.

“Must be my imagination then.”

“Must be,” she agreed, not quite able to take her eyes off him even though something in her told her she should.

He left her then but didn’t go to his room. Instead, he veered to the library. He found Ambrose returning books to shelves.

“I need a favor.”

Ambrose glanced at him as he continued to shelve books.

“No.”

“You don’t even know what it is yet,” Nick argued.

“I’ve got enough on my plate. Find someone else.”

“I can’t find anyone else. Finding someone else would mean telling someone else why I need their help.” Ambrose glared at him.

“Tell me what you need before I agree.”

“As of tomorrow, I will be Baxter High’s newest student.”

Ambrose narrowed his eyes even further.

“What are you up to, Scratch?”

“Someone has to keep an eye on Sabrina,” he said. “It can’t be you. If I’m going to pass as a 16, 17-year-old mortal, I’m going to need a parent or guardian to enroll me in classes. I need you to pull out your best glamour and pretend to be just that.”

Ambrose considered him. Nick seized his opportunity.

“You said she’s forgetting things or else mentioning things that have already happened.” Ambrose nodded. “Never mind the fact that she’s the cause of all the weird shit happening with the weather and clocks.”

“And how is your being at Baxter High going to help her?” Ambrose questioned.

“It’s only a matter of time before she gets in even deeper trouble, Ambrose,” Nick said with certainty. “Who else is going to look after her? One of the mortals? Her dense boyfriend hasn’t even noticed her hair has changed color.”

“You make a fair point.” Ambrose leaned against the bookshelf and studied Nick. There was a conversation they needed to have before he could allow this to go further. “What are your motives here, Scratch? You leave Greendale, fall off the face of the earth, show back up, and within days are wrapped up Sabrina’s latest mess with a desire to keep your involvement in the shadows. But fronting as a high school student isn’t exactly hiding in the shadows, is it?”

Nick pursed his lips. He needed Ambrose to trust him if he was going to help save Sabrina. He didn’t have a reason not to trust Ambrose. He could be honest. He reasoned he probably _should_ be honest.

“I didn’t break up with her because I don’t love her,” he said. “A lot has happened over these last few months. But none of that matters right now. What matters is finding a way to merge Sabrina and stop this time loop. Everything else – it has to wait.”

“You noticed,” Ambrose said after a beat. “The aunties, Harvey, the others… No one else has noticed the changes in her. They’re too busy or too dense or too whatever. But you noticed. Almost as soon as you waltzed back into Greendale.”

“She’s Sabrina. Of course I noticed.” Nick offered no more explanation. “What do you say, Ambrose? Pretend to be my parent or legal guardian?”

“Legal guardian,” Ambrose decided. “I’m in no mood to be a parent. Sabrina is more than I can handle.”

“I’ll see you at Baxter High bright and early tomorrow morning,” Nick nodded.

“You get yourself in trouble, you’re going to get yourself out of it,” Ambrose warned.

“I’m pretty good at flying solo these days,” Nick shrugged. “Thanks, Ambrose.”

They parted ways, Ambrose remaining in the library, Nick going to his room to shower. When the sweat was rinsed away and his clothing clean, he sat on his bed and leaned against the headboard, content to let his mind travel to places he had to actively work to avoid when he was going about his day. He closed his eyes and breathed deep.

Loving Sabrina Spellman had never been the problem.

He just hoped it would be enough to save her.

* * *

He had been a high school student all of fifteen minutes and he already hated it.

Technically, he was around the same age as the mortals around him. But he felt infinitely older and incredibly out of place. He had known he would cause a certain ripple of curiosity as the ‘new kid’ and there were certainly stares, whispers. They made him uncomfortable. He wanted to be anonymous, to hang in the background. He wanted to not be there at all. But if he was going to be help Sabrina, this was necessary.

No matter how much he didn’t like it.

He found his locker and had to exercise patience over not using magic to unlock the combination. He felt her before he saw her and braced himself for impact.

“What are you doing here?”

Her tone was accusatory.

“Going to school,” he answered casually. “Same as you.”

“At a mortal high school?” she pushed.

“I was bored at the Academy,” he shrugged. He had already worked out this lie. He pushed down the guilt he felt over lying to her. Again. “There’s what, fifteen, twenty coven members? Those who are still students are, shall we say, on a different level intellectually. I’m not learning anything new there, may as well come here and fill my head with mortal knowledge. I’m especially looking forward to history class – it’ll be interesting to learn their side of things.”

“You already know their side of things,” Sabrina accused. “If you were bored at the Academy, you’re going to be absolutely miserable here. You’re too smart for your own good, Scratch.”

He saw her then, the hint of her that was still _her._ It gave him some hope that he and Ambrose would pull this off, figure out a way out of the mess she was in and bring her back. Whatever happened after that… He wouldn’t – couldn’t – think about that now.

“You think I’m smart?” he asked, giving her a smirk. She was unamused.

“You know you are,” she retorted. “You have an annoying habit of reminding people of how intelligent you are every chance you get.”

“I’d argue that I haven’t always made the most intelligent choices, but then I’d be late for class while making my point and that wouldn’t be a good look on my first day.”

Sabrina squared her shoulders as she continued to size him up.

“You’re up to something,” she said. “I’ll figure out what it is.”

“Just going to school, Sabrina,” he countered. “No more, no less.”

“I’m dating Harvey now.”

Nick knew she said it to hurt him. He hid how much her words stung well.

“Not surprising,” he drawled. He closed his locker. “I’ve got to get to class. I assume you should be doing the same.”

“You’re up to something,” she said again. “I don’t trust you, Scratch.”

“That’s on you,” he said. Him. It was entirely on him that she didn’t trust him. But right now wasn’t the time to bring that up either. He pulled a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket, unfolded it with a flick of his wrist, and held it out to her. “Since you’re here, maybe you could point me towards my first class.”

She snatched his schedule from him with an annoyed glare. He waited for the reaction he knew was coming.

“Your schedule is the same as mine.”

“Is it?” he feigned innocence. He and Ambrose had agreed it best to make sure he had eyes on her as much as possible. He had left it to Ambrose to manipulate his schedule, expecting to have most of his classes with Sabrina, but certainly not all. Ambrose, however, had gone all in. “Must have something to do with the fact that we’re both in advanced classes.”

Sabrina glared at him.

“You’re the worst,” she informed him. She turned on her heel and stomped away. He sighed and followed.

His first assumption of high school proved correct.

He absolutely hated it.

Sabrina hadn’t been wrong in saying he would be bored with it all. The history teacher had rambled on about Egypt and pyramids and he had all but bit his tongue in half working not to correct him. The discussion in English class about a book he had read when he was twelve was elementary at best and he had serious questions about what Greendale public schools considered ‘advanced’ for their honors class placements. Geometry was laughable. He kept envisioning the bindings he was capable of, what the triangle the teacher was trying to explain the area of was actually able to do when put to real use.

Then there were the people. The stares were bad enough, everyone assessing the new kid. But the girls that came up to him all heavy perfume and too much makeup were too forward and he was already running out of patience with fending them off. The guys must have labeled him as a threat as their testosterone poured off them while they tried to puff their chests and flex their muscles. His fingers had itched at one point to cast one simple spell that would send them away. But he had to remember himself. He was supposed to be a mortal and mortals didn’t hex other mortals.

The worst of it was seeing Sabrina with Harvey. He was well-aware that she was rubbing their relationship in his face. He tried to remind himself that it wasn’t Sabrina, not really, but it got harder as the day wore on to spy Harvey walking her to class, holding her hand, kissing her. Harvey, too, was asserting his place in Sabrina’s life, prancing around the school like a proud peacock. He wondered if it would be entirely frowned upon for him to at least hex Harvey. He thought Ambrose might support him in his decision, at least. He had the impression he wasn’t Harvey’s biggest fan either. Still, he behaved himself, reminded himself of the reason he was there.

He was damned glad when the final bell rang. Nothing out of the usual had happened and for that, at least, he was thankful. He stopped at his locker to dump his biology textbook. He had no intentions of doing the assigned homework. There was no real need. He didn’t plan to be a Baxter High student all that long. When he slammed the door short, Harvey Kinkle was there. He sighed in annoyance.

“What do you want, Kinkle?”

“I want to know why you’re at Baxter High.” Harvey tried to look menacing. Nick wasn’t threatened.

“As I’m sure your girlfriend has already told you, I was bored at the Academy, so I thought I’d give moral academics a try.”

“You’re lying.”

“Why do you think I’m here, Kinkle?” Nick turned the tables. “Go on. Tell me your theory.”

“You’re trying to get Sabrina back.” Nick didn’t deny it. Harvey couldn’t quite cover the look of something akin to unease that flicked across his features. “You broke up with her, Scratch. After everything she did for you, you still broke her heart. She’s moved on. Stay the hell away from her.”

Nick almost felt sorry for Harvey. The guy had absolutely no idea that the girl he was dating wasn’t Sabrina. Not really. Still, he couldn’t quite dredge up feelings of pity.

“I always knew you weren’t the sharpest mortal around.” Nick adjusted his jacket. The pair stood a mere foot apart, Nick, the consummate bad boy in jeans, boots, and a leather jacket, his dark hair coiffed, his scowl in place, Harvey, tall and gangly, his hair purposefully messy, his shirt plaid, jacket corduroy. One magic, one mortal. Absolute counterparts in every way. A blonde half witch their only commonality. “But the fact that you can’t see what’s right in front of you is truly baffling.”

He turned to walk away.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Harvey called after him. Nick didn’t stop walking, but he turned back to Harvey, making his way down the hallway backwards.

“Exactly what you think it means, Kinkle.”

He turned forward, took two more steps, and disappeared into thin air.

* * *

Sabrina was cautious as she approached the Spellman study where Ambrose posted up most nights. She tapped on the door, anxious about the reception she would receive. She didn’t wait for an answer but opened the door just enough to peer around it.

“You busy?” she asked carefully.

“Always,” Ambrose replied.

Naturally, Sabrina let herself in and closed the door behind her. Ambrose sighed and marked his place on the page before him.

“Are you still mad at me?” she asked. She had hardly seen him since their showdown in the entryway.

“When am I not mad at you?” he countered.

She was uncharacteristically quiet as she took a seat across from him.

“I’m sorry,” she offered. “I know I’ve caused a lot of trouble…”

“A lot of trouble?” Ambrose repeated. “That hardly scratches the surface.”

“Things seem to have settled down though, right?” she asked. “We haven’t anything weird happen in a few days. I haven’t had anything weird happen. That’s a good sign. Right?”

“No,” Ambrose shook his head. “It’s a sign that things are only going to get worse.”

“You really need to work on your optimism,” she said in an effort to lighten the mood.

“You really need to work on your decision making,” Ambrose snuffed out her efforts. Sabrina blew out an annoyed breath and tried to let the jab go. She was here to smooth things over, all thoughts of telling Ambrose about her trip to Hell long gone in the wake of a few normal days. “I’d also like to know more about this.”

He reached under his desk and produced a red candle with her name on it, watching for her reaction. Her eyes widened. She let out a gasp when he produced a second one, this one with Nick and Harvey’s names on it.

“Where did you get those?” she half asked, half demanded.

“Your bedroom.”

“Why were you in my room? You shouldn’t be going through my things…”

“You shouldn’t be splitting yourself in half, yet here we are,” Ambrose pointed out. He waved his hand at the candles. “Explain, please.”

“I did a cord cutting ceremony,” she admitted.. “Prudence told me about it. It was initially just for Nick, but then I added Harvey as a ‘just in case.’”

“So, you tried to burn away your feelings for the warlock and the mortal?”

Sabrina nodded. In that moment, she looked sad. Ambrose softened towards her. He often had to remind himself that she had been through a lot. Some of that was of her own doing, but not all of it.

“He wanted to be friends. I can’t be his friend.”

“Nick?” Ambrose pushed. “Or Harvey?”

“Nick,” she nearly whispered. “I can’t be his friend. Not after everything we went through, everything he said, did.”

Ambrose made a decision to be brutally honest with her.

“Did you ever stop to think how Nicholas must have felt when he found out you were Queen of Hell?” Sabrina just looked at him, waiting for him to continue. “He went to Hell with the Dark Lord inside of him to save you, the girl he loved, from a fate she didn’t want. I don’t think he ever once thought about the rest of us, the mortal realm. He only thought of you. And then he comes back, traumatized in the deepest, most darkest sense, and you were too busy defending the crown he thought he saved you from to realize how desperately he needed you.”

“That’s not fair,” Sabrina shook her head. “I was there for him, Ambrose. I tried to be, anyway. He wouldn’t let me…”

“You went off to Hell to defend your throne while he lay chained up going through yet another round of torture in an attempt to get him sober,” Ambrose reminded her. “And yes, you did get the remnants of the Dark Lord out of him. I’m not forgetting that. But your quest for a crown got him attacked while he was trying, however much he was failing, to have a good time with his girlfriend at a carnival.” He fixed his eyes on Sabrina. “A carnival you should have never asked him to go to. He was in no shape to face the masses mere hours after waking up supposedly free of the Dark Lord.”

Sabrina felt the guilt trying to grab her, but she pushed it down. Nick had cheated, she reminded herself. He had said horrible things. He had lied to her for practically their entire relationship. She shouldn’t feel guilty.

“Nick made his choices,” she said by way of response.

“He left for three months,” Ambrose pointed out. “Without so much as a goodbye. Prudence, at least, left a note. Nicholas just disappeared, then showed back up without any notice. Are you not at least a little bit curious about where he was?”

Ambrose certainly was.

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. They both knew she was lying. “But since we’re on the topic of Nick, any ideas as to why he’s now a student at Baxter High?”

Ambrose feigned surprised.

“He is?”

“Today was his first day, and he magically has the same class schedule as me. Imagine that.”

“He’ll be bored within two days,” Ambrose decided, playing ignorant. “Although maybe I should enroll. Could be fun to watch you stew over why he’s there and Harvey strut around trying to make himself appear to be the better man.”

“Harvey is the better man,” Sabrina stated. Ambrose snorted.

“Harvey is a mortal in every sense of the word. Speaking of Harvey – explain that to me. How are you with him now if your feelings supposedly burned away?”

Sabrina shrugged.

“I guess they came back. What’s meant to be always finds a way, right?”

“If that’s the argument you want to make,” Ambrose said. He remembered the truth serum. “I know things have been – tense – between us lately. What do you say you and I have a cousin night tomorrow? You pick the movie, I bring the snacks.”

Sabrina’s smile was genuine.

“I’d like that,” she agreed. “And for the record, Ambrose, I’m really happy with Harvey. It’s nice to be in a relationship without the complications.”

Ambrose deadpanned.

“‘Without the complications?’” he repeated. “You’re a witch and he’s a mortal. I’d say that’s a very large complication, all time loops and such aside.”

“It doesn’t feel like it,” Sabrina shook her head. “He knows what I am now and he’s accepted it. The rest will work itself out. Somehow.”

“But he doesn’t know what you are,” Ambrose reminded her. “He doesn’t know there’s a second one of you ruling the underworld.”

“He doesn’t need to know that, does he?” It was a warning, not a question. Ambrose blew out a breath.

“I’m not going to argue with you,” he said. “It does no good anyway. Pick a good movie tomorrow. One I won't hate.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Sabrina said as she stood. They had absolutely opposite tastes in movies. He would loathe whatever she picked. “Thanks for not being mad at me anymore, Ambrose.”

He didn’t bother to tell her he was still very much upset with her but bid her goodnight instead. When she was gone, he picked up the candle with the names of the two boys she loved and studied it. He knew the ritual, knew too that it was silly child’s play, no more, that her feelings were still very much intact.

The look on her face – the tone of her voice – when she spoke of Nicholas Scratch had stopped him from telling her the truth. It was the most genuine thing he had seen about her in two months.

He couldn’t help but root for the warlock to come out ahead, should they find their way out of the mess they were currently in.

* * *

She breathed a sigh of relief when the elaborate dress fell from her shoulders and pooled around her. She hated the heavy fabric she was required to wear day in and day out, each gown seemingly more elaborate than the last, although none as elaborate as her coronation gown. Her father insisted however, reminded her she was a queen now and had to look the part.

She was learning that was an important part of being Queen of Hell: looking the part. Grand gowns, hard exterior, chin up. Queens don’t cry.

She hadn’t wanted to cry since becoming Queen. It was a nice turn of events, to not feel like tears would fall at the drop of a hat.

It should probably bother her, how little she worried about what was going on in the mortal realm. She had developed an odd sort of detachment to what she referred to as her “former” life. She figured the other Sabrina was doing just fine, navigating the realm she loved so much while she got to run Hell.

Or run it as much as Lucifer would allow her.

He was very clear that she was his heir, not the ruler. She didn’t much like how he talked down to her on occasion, often reminded her of her place as second. It was infuriating and in quiet moments, she was already considering what to do about it.

She had just changed into her pajamas – only the finest silk for the Queen, no complaints from her – when there was a knock at her door. She smirked.

“Like clockwork,” she said to her reflection.

She opened it, not surprised to find Caliban on the other side of it.

“Caliban,” she greeted. “Still made of clay?”

“Still Daddy’s puppet?” he countered.

“I’m no one’s puppet,” she stated.

Caliban’s grin was sly. There was something dangerous about her. Something reckless. He liked it. He stepped into the room, his body close to hers. She didn’t back down.

“Would it kill you to wear a shirt?” she wondered.

“We’re in Hell, love,” he reminded her. “It’s much too hot for that.” His fingertips trailed up her bare arm and tugged on the strap of her flimsy tank top. “You’re wearing too much if you ask me.”

His kiss was searing. Hell had taught her why witches and warlocks preferred lust to love. She returned it with vigor, her body pressed into his. But when his hands started to creep from her waist, she pulled away and caught his wrists.

“Control yourself, Prince,” she directed. “I am not to be maimed.”

“Oh, but you want to be,” Caliban drawled, trying to lean in. “Why not allow yourself the pleasures of the flesh?”

“But aren’t you made of clay?” Sabrina countered with a cheeky raised eyebrow.

“Clever as ever,” Caliban replied. He moved in for another kiss, just like he did every night when she stopped them. She dodged it, just like she did every night when he tried.

“Shall I see you at breakfast?” she asked.

“Same time, same place,” he quipped. He winked at her. “Goodnight, Your Majesty.” He left then, leaving her alone once more.

Sabrina sat down in the middle of her grand bed and just – sat.

Hell was lonely.

She didn’t really mind usually. Just at night, when her duties were done and Caliban, who had been freed from the tomb by her own father and pardoned for his sins for reasons she couldn’t work out but didn’t question, had come and gone. It was perhaps the only time thoughts of what was happening earth side infiltrated her mind. Her aunts were a fuzzy image in her mind’s eye. She imagined Zelda was at the Academy, barking orders at someone just because she could. Hilda was likely with Cee or else in the kitchen. Ambrose… Probable with Prudence. Her mortal friends, probably together, in Harvey’s garage, banging on drums and playing guitars. Nick…

Sex demons. Drinking. Drugs. He wasn’t her concern anymore.

Her thoughts turned to Caliban.

Hell knew she wanted him. She didn’t feel anything for him – she didn’t seem to feel much of anything anymore – but the lust was most certainly there. Yet every night, something deep, deep inside her stopped her from letting Caliban get what he wanted. What _she_ wanted. She had once wanted to wait until she was in love to lose her virginity. Now, when she was ready to give it away, she couldn’t quite push herself over the edge.

She supposed it was just fear.

She laid back, the bed soft, the linens luxurious. She thought back over her day, the souls she had dragged, the punishments she had doled out. Even three months in, it still gave her a thrill.

A thrill that, in these rare quiet moments, scared her just a little. It didn’t seem right, that she could enjoy it so much. It didn’t quite feel like _her._

She pushed the thought away with ease.

Queens didn’t get scared.

She had dragged soul after soul that day, not caring how some of them begged, bargained. She had sentenced them to their fate without much care, doled out punishments with glee, her father watching with pride. Yes, she reasoned, it had been another good day, despite the dress she had to wear while doing it all. This was her life now. This was what she had wanted.

Wasn’t it?

She slipped under the covers and with a wave of her hand, turned down the light. She got comfortable on her side of the bed – wait. Her side of the bed.

For the first time, she realized she had slept on the same side of the bed for months. She frowned at the ridiculousness of it. She had the whole bed to herself and dammit, she was going to sleep in the middle of it, simply because she could. She shifted to the center.

She closed her eyes and willed sleep to come. It didn’t come easily in Hell. Her last thought before she drifted off was of a dark haired boy in a white shirt, screaming at her that he hadn’t slept in weeks.

That she wasn’t worth it.

The image was a distant memory by morning.

In its place was a certain sense of anger. An anger caused by a hurt she couldn’t place.

“Lilith!” she bellowed. “Get me dressed! I want to get to work early this morning.”

She didn’t know where that anger came from, but she knew how to dissolve it.

By dragging as many souls to Hell as she could.

Heaven be damned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was surprised by how many of you were like YES AMBROSE after the last update. Then he called Sabrina out on the whole carnival thing too? Build a statue in his honor, if you will. 
> 
> Nick - he's a Baxter High student now. I know you're all curious about his motives. I won't spoil anything, but his intentions are pure. He's also still Harvey's biggest fan... 
> 
> And Sabrina. Several of you picked up that she's not herself. And obviously Sabrina Morningstar down in hell isn't either. Many of you also picked up that Nick noticed. All of this is very important. Stick with me? 
> 
> Also, it's so odd writing Sabrina with Harvey/Caliban. Just - trust me? :) 
> 
> Let me know how you felt about this chapter! Any guesses so far? Whose excited to see Nick as a high school student?


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a bizarre week. Personally? I've had a great week. Good news is always welcomed. But it's been a bizarre week. Wherever you are in the world, I hope you're well. I hope you're calm. I hope you're being kind to your neighbor and washing your hands. If you're in the U.S., I certainly hope you have toilet paper. 
> 
> It's bizarre in Greendale right now, too. A lot is about to happen below. It might help unravel some of the plot. Or... Make it even more confusing? Lots of hints here...

“I don’t understand why he’s here.” 

Sabrina sighed and fought the urge to roll her eyes. All Harvey had wanted to talk about for the last day was Nicholas Scratch’s arrival at Baxter High. She didn’t understand it herself, didn’t buy his story of boredom for a minute, but she had decided she wasn’t going to allow it to bother her. 

“Neither do I, but it’s no concern of ours.” 

“He’s trying to get you back,” Harvey continued. “He basically said as much.” 

“But he won’t get me back,” Sabrina countered. “I’m with you, Harvey. Nick is in my past.” 

“I don’t trust him, Sabrina.” 

“You don’t have to,” she shook her head. “Neither of us do.” She kissed his cheek. “I’m with you, Harvey,” she said again. “Please, don’t let Nicholas’ presence ruin your day.” She stopped and turned Harvey towards her. “You know I love you, right?” 

“I know,” he nodded with a resigned sigh, trying hard to believe her when she said Nick was in her past. “And I love you, too.” 

They shared a chaste kiss. Sabrina was sure Nick saw from where he was trading books at his locker. She didn’t care. 

“Walk me to class?” she requested. 

“Always,” Harvey agreed. 

He took her hand and together, walked towards her English class. At the door, she made sure to give Harvey a longer, lingering kiss. She felt Nick’s eyes on her as she sauntered to her desk and sat down. She worked hard to ignore him from where he sat two rows over. 

She tried to focus on the teacher's explanation of the section of _The Grapes of Wrath_ they were supposed to have read, but she couldn’t help but notice something was off. The air felt different. Charged. She glanced out the window and noticed the clouds were gray, swirling. She noted Nick looking in the same direction, his brow furrowed, his frown deep. 

She turned back to the teacher, feeling on edge. She wondered if she was the cause, if this was another ramification of her time loop. She didn’t think so, though. Not this time. It felt – different. 

Without any warning, the windows of the classroom blew out just as sirens started to wail. 

“What in the…” Sabrina sprung to her feet as her classmates around her did the same, covering their heads with books and backpacks and running for the door. Outside, the clouds swirled faster. She glimpsed what looked to be a tornado before a set of strong arms wrapped around her. 

“Come on.” 

Nick was there, pushing her through the door and into the hall. 

“Nick…” 

He pushed her against the lockers, his hands on her shoulders. The roar of the tornado echoed around them, filling the space with the sound of a fast approaching freight train.

“Are you okay?” he asked. Another round of windows shattered. Sabrina looked in the direction of the blast. “Sabrina!” She looked back to Nick with wide eyes. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m fine,” she shouted over the noise. “What’s happening, Nick? What’s going on?” 

“I don’t know,” he shook his head. “But I don’t like it.” He made a split-second decision. He grabbed her by the hand. “Lanuae magicae!” 

They appeared in the Spellman foyer. The storm outside raged on. Ambrose seemed to be channeling it as he blew into the foyer. 

“Sabrina!” he bellowed, going right for her. Nick stepped in front of her. 

“This isn’t her, Ambrose,” he said urgently. “I don’t know what in the Heaven it is, but it isn’t her.” 

Sabrina frowned. 

“Wait… What do you mean, ‘it isn’t her?’” 

“Every time anything like this happens....” 

“It’s not her, Ambrose!” Nick raised his voice. “I’m certain. We were in English class. Everything was normal. The air felt weird and suddenly windows were blowing out and tornadoes were falling from the sky. She’s not doing this.” 

“Hello!” Sabrina tried to interject. “Ambrose!” She turned to her cousin. “Does he know?” Ambrose paid her no mind. 

“If it’s not her, then what is it?” Ambrose demanded. “What’s happening?” 

“I have no idea.” Nick threw his hands up. “But it’s not Sabrina. I’m certain of that.” 

“Nick!” 

Nick looked at Sabrina. His will to be in the shadows had been short lived. 

“Later,” he stated. He went to the window. “It’s dying down, whatever it was.” 

“Can’t be just the weather,” Ambrose joined him. “I’ve been paying close attention to it.” He shot Sabrina a look. “It was supposed to be sunny and beautiful today.” 

“It’s magic,” Nick said. “Powerful, dark magic.” 

“The pagans?” Sabrina suggested. 

“No,” Nick shook his head. “This is something else entirely.” 

“Nicholas is right,” Ambrose turned away from the window. “Whatever this is – if it’s not you – it’s something far worse than pagans.” 

Sabrina opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by the arrival of her aunts. 

“There you two are!” Hilda gasped in relief. “No Ambrose at the Academy, no Sabrina at school…” She noticed Nick then. “Nicholas. You’re here, too.” 

“Figured it was only a matter of time,” Zelda sized Nick up for a moment before looking back to her niece and nephew. “Everyone appears fine?” 

“We’re fine,” Ambrose confirmed. “The Academy?” 

“Also fine. It’s built to withstand more than a few tornadoes. But whatever that was was no doing of Mother Nature. It was something far more sinister.” 

“Blackwood.” Everyone looked at Nick. He looked almost afraid. “Or – the Dark Lord.” 

“It’s not the Dark Lord,” Sabrina said quietly. “I’m sure of that.” She was. She knew in her bones that he was still in Hell, believing himself the victor with her by his side. “But I wouldn’t rule out Blackwood.” 

“We’ll need to find him,” Ambrose nodded. “I know from experience that he’s hard to find when he doesn’t want to be found. And he’s got that blasted egg. Auntie Zelda, where is Mambo?” 

“At the Academy,” Zelda answered. “I have her watching over the school.” 

“I may need her assistance.” Ambrose let his head fall back. “Of course this is happening now. Of course.” 

“Whatever do you mean?” Hilda asked, sensing there was something Ambrose wasn’t sharing. 

“Just that the moment we think all is well, it all goes to pot again,” he actively avoided looking at Sabrina. 

For a few moments, the five of them stood around the foyer, looking at one another, all lost in their own thoughts about what had just happened, what to do next. 

“Anyone fancy a cup of tea?” Hilda broke their quiet. She didn’t wait for an answer. “I’ll just skip down to the kitchen and put on the kettle.” She wandered off. 

“I should go back to the Academy,” Zelda determined. “Check on the coven. Shall I send Mambo?” 

“Please,” Ambrose nodded. She left, too. 

“I should probably…” Nick indicated the door, fully intent on following Zelda. Sabrina narrowed her eyes. 

“You’re not going anywhere,” she informed him. “What do you know, Nicholas? And may I suggest telling the truth?” 

Ambrose and Nick exchanged a look. Ambrose held up his hands in defeat. Nick sighed. 

“We should probably go to the study,” he said. “We don’t want Hilda to overhear.” 

The three of them wordlessly made their way to the study. Ambrose took up his usual seat behind the desk. Nick perched on the arm of a chair across from it. Sabrina stood between them and the door, looking incredibly menacing for someone they could both easily overpower, especially at present. 

“Why did you tell him, Ambrose?” she demanded. 

“To be fair, he figured it out,” Ambrose said. Nick gave him a look. “Fine. He didn’t exactly figure out the what of what you’ve done, but he noticed something was different about you and came to me. I needed an ally and Scratch has proven to be a useful one.” 

“So you two have been plotting behind my back.” She glared at Nick. “Shocking.” 

“It’s not like that, Sabrina,” Nick shook his head. Of course that was the first place she had gone. “We’re trying to help – understand what the consequences of this time loop are, figure out how to correct it.” 

“I don’t need your help,” Sabrina pushed back. “Everything is fine!” 

“I need his help,” Ambrose spoke up, “because despite what you would like to believe, everything is most certainly _not_ fine. Especially now that we have yet another unworldly worry thrust upon us.” 

“So what are the two of you going to do?” she asked, arms crossed over her chest. “Force my two halves back together and leave me trapped in stone for all of eternity? It would certainly get me out of your hair.” Her eyes drifted to Nick. “It would be a bit of a full circle moment, really, me, trapped in Hell.” 

Nick sighed. She was angry with him. He didn’t blame her, but it hurt all the same. 

“No one is going to leave you trapped in stone,” he said. “Least of all me.” 

He left it at that, but Sabrina heard what he didn’t say. Some of her anger ebbed, even as she grabbed to try to hold onto it. It was so much easier to just be mad at him.

“We have to merge you back and stop the time paradox,” Ambrose said. “How? I have no idea.” 

“Say you manage to merge me back,” Sabrina said, now looking at him. “But if done the way it was supposed to be, I would still be stuck in stone. You say you’ll get me out of it,” she glanced towards Nick briefly, “which is all fine and well, but we would still have Hell to contend with. Caliban, taking over, trying to make earth the tenth ring… Not exactly something we can overlook.” 

“No one has the answers,” Nick admitted. “But we’re going to figure it out.” 

He had gone over and over that very fact. It was closing in on four months since Sabrina split in half. If they were to close the time loop, where would they end up in the context of time? Would they go back in time, the last few months erased? Or would they pick up where they were and move forward? Would Sabrina be trapped in stone and need rescuing? He simply didn’t know. None of them did.

And he definitely didn’t want a do over of the last four months. 

“What if I don’t want to be merged?” she asked. “What if I want to stay separated?” 

“You absolutely cannot…” Ambrose started, but Nick spoke over him. 

“Your actions have consequences, Sabrina.” His voice was steady, sure. There was no room for argument. She was angry at him, but he wasn’t exactly happy with her either. “Someday, you’re going to have to face them. It won’t really matter if there is one of you or two. Your actions always catch up with you.” He held her eyes. “I would know.” 

Something in Sabrina stirred. She had to look away as an odd sort of guilt settled around her heart. Nick crossed his own arms over his chest and dutifully avoided her eyes. Ambrose looked between the two. Somehow, it was Nicholas that was getting through to her, however destroyed the relationship between them was. He remembered the truth serum and decided to seize the opportunity. And, he thought, it might do the pair of them some good to be left alone together. 

“I’m going to go see about that tea,” he declared. “I think we could all use a cuppa. I’ll be right back. Then we can see if we can figure out something. Literally anything.” 

He disappeared, leaving Sabrina and Nick alone. An awkward silence settled over them. Sabrina was the one who broke it. 

“I suppose this is why you’re now a Baxter High student? To keep an eye on me?” 

“Who else is going to do it?” Nick countered. “The mortal who has no idea the girl he’s slobbering all over is only half of herself?” 

“I can take care of myself,” she informed him. 

“Fine job you’re doing of it,” he shot back. 

He stood from his perch, no longer able to sit still. He intended to pace the small space, but something on Ambrose’s desk caught his eye. Sabrina felt her world if not skid to a stop, slow down significantly as he reached his hand out and picked up the red candle with his name on it. She watched as his features shifted. There was no denying the hurt that crossed his handsome face. She wished the ground would open up and swallow her whole. There, in his hand, was evidence that she had tried to forget her feelings, his own feelings rendered worthless. She wasn’t entirely convinced the spell had worked and thought perhaps it was meant to be more symbolic than anything, but regardless, that candle was her saying their relationship had ultimately meant nothing to her. 

“Nick…” she said softly, not sure what else she was going to say but not able to stand the hurt she felt rolling off of him. He shook his head, his lips pursed tightly, and placed the candle back on the desk. 

“Can’t say I’m surprised,” he muttered. He resumed his pacing, careful to keep his back to her so he could compose himself. When he turned back, still wearing more of his emotions on his visage than he would like, she was watching him with a look that mingled concern and guilt. 

“Where did you go?” she asked softly, tentatively. “You just – left.” 

“I’m surprised you noticed,” he couldn’t help but say. 

“Of course I noticed,” she said quietly. She had noticed almost at once. “Where did you go?” 

He wouldn’t lie to her. 

“Home.” 

She frowned. 

“Home?” she repeated. “I thought the Academy…” 

“I had a home before I came to the Academy,” he reminded her. “A small village in Romania. I went there.” 

“Why?” she pressed. 

“I needed to.” He didn’t give her anything else. 

“Why did you come back?” she continued, pushing in the way she always did. He met her eyes for the first time since picking up the candle. 

“I won’t lie to you,” he said. “But I don’t think that’s a conversation we should have right now.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he beat her to it. “I do think, deep, deep down?” He held her eyes. “You know the answer.” 

Sabrina felt the air leave the room. She didn’t have a chance to examine her feelings or ponder the meaning of Nick’s words further though as Ambrose breezed back into the room with a tray of tea. 

“Hilda has gone off to check in with Cee,” he reported. “Mortal school is off tomorrow by the way. Storm damage, they’re saying.” He placed the tray on his desk and picked up a cup. “Sabrina, cousin, our movie night will have to wait. To say I’m sorry, I brought you your tea in your favorite teacup.” 

“How kind of you,” Sabrina quipped with heavy sarcasm as she accepted the mug. 

“Nicholas? I wasn’t sure how you take your tea, so I didn’t add anything to it,” Ambrose continued. Nick got the message. He had put the truth serum in Sabrina’s tea. So much for not being present for the questioning. “There’s milk and sugar on the tray if you’d like.” 

“Black is fine,” Nick accepted the cup from Ambrose. He remained standing, needing the space between himself and Sabrina. Ambrose settled back behind the desk. His eyes fell on the candle that had been moved from where he left it. 

“Can’t say I’m sorry I missed that conversation,” he commented. No one said anything. “I’d propose a toast, but I don’t think there’s much to cheers to.” 

They sipped their tea in silence, Nick on edge, Ambrose patient, Sabrina wishing she were anywhere else. Ambrose spoke first. 

“Sabrina, do you remember that time when you were seven and broke Zelda’s Chinese vase, a gift from the emperor himself, and you blamed me for it?”

“I did not…” Sabrina choked on her words. She wanted to tell the story she had stuck to all these years, that she AND Ambrose had been sliding down the stair railings even though the aunties told them not to and that one of them, just not her, accidentally hit the vase with their foot during an ungraceful landing. Except, she couldn’t. She absolutely _had_ to tell the truth whether she wanted to or not. “I broke it,” she confessed. “I knew Zelda would be furious, so I blamed you.” She narrowed her eyes. “You put truth serum in my tea.” 

“We have questions, you have answers,” Ambrose countered. “You weren’t giving them the easy way, so here we are.” Sabrina’s eyes went to Nick. 

“This was your idea.” She didn’t need him to confirm. She could see it in his eyes. 

“Like Ambrose said, we needed answers,” he said anyway. 

“You could have just asked!” 

“I did!” Ambrose cried out. 

“Would you have told us the truth?” Nick countered at the same time. Sabrina glared at him. 

“No.” 

He nodded once. 

“Who conjured you?” he asked, getting right to questioning. “Rather, how did two of you show up?” 

“I don’t know,” Sabrina admitted. “I just – appeared. It’s weird. I have my memories and yet they don’t feel like mine. They feel like someone else experienced them. I experienced them. I know I did. All the feelings are there. But it’s like I’m experiencing them from outside of myself.” 

“Are you the conjured you then?” Ambrose asked. 

“I am,” Sabrina nodded. “But I’m still – me. I can’t explain it.” 

“What happened after you appeared at Dorian’s?” Nick asked. 

“I knew I needed to go through the portal and switch places with me.” She was resigned to their questioning. There was nothing she could do to prevent telling the truth now that they had drugged her, and if she tried to leave, they would stop her. “I knew what to do. So, I did it.” She looked at Nick. “You called me a Morningstar. Before I went through the portal. Or the actual me or the queen me or whatever you want to call her did.” 

“I did,” Nick nodded, thinking it odd that she remembered that detail. “I must have been gone when your conjured version appeared.” 

“You weren’t there,” Sabrina shook her head. “No one was.” She frowned. “Or, well…” She trailed off. 

“Was someone there or not?” Ambrose prompted. 

“I’m not sure,” she shrugged. “It feels like there was, but I just – don’t remember. If they were there, I don’t think I saw them.” 

“What happened next?” he pressed. 

“I went through the portal and into Hell. I found me, encased in stone and I guess, woke her up? We switched places so she could come back here and prevent the pagans from killing everyone and Caliban taking over. She was supposed to switch back with me.” 

“But you didn’t switch back,” Nick said. He frowned, another thought occurring to him. “How did you get out of the stone?” 

“What?” Sabrina questioned. 

“You – the first, original you, if you want to call her that – were in the stone, right?” Sabrina nodded. “You – the second Sabrina – switched with her. She left you entombed in stone.” Ambrose leaned forward, seeing where Nick was going.

“She did,” Sabrina confirmed with another nod. 

“So theoretically, you should have still been in the stone when you – or her – got back to switch. If she – the original Sabrina – was stuck in stone, then you the second Sabrina, switched with her, you should have still been stuck in stone while she went above ground. Yet, you clearly weren’t.” 

“I met her outside of the tombs,” Sabrina recalled. “I said ‘I thought we’d meet here instead’ and told her it was Caliban in the tomb, playing a trick so he could seize the silver.” 

“How did you get out of the stone?” Ambrose asked again. 

“I don’t know,” Sabrina realized. It was yet another black hole in their timeline of events. “I just – did. This version of me did. I suppose the other Sabrina arrived ahead of schedule? Moments before I would have been trapped by Caliban?” 

There was silence as they absorbed the new information, tried in vain to put together a messy, confusing timeline. 

“So in Hell right now, would that mean Caliban is trapped in stone?” The idea made Nick just a little happy. 

“I guess it would,” Sabrina nodded. 

“Dear whatever God we’re worshipping now, my head hurts,” Ambrose commented. For all of his intentions to avoid being around when Sabrina had the truth serum, it was Nick with the questions. 

“This – version – of you… How do you feel?” he asked. 

“Spiteful,” Ambrose supplied. “Reckless, careless, selfish…” 

“Shut up, Ambrose,” Nick muttered, eyes on Sabrina. His mind was working fast. All the pieces of information he had gathered and seemingly random thoughts that had crossed his mind were merging together into a still very incomplete image that nevertheless provided him with at least some answers. “Sabrina?” he prompted. 

“I feel…” she trailed off, trying to figure out how to put it into words. “Different,” she said eventually. “Like I said, I have my memories. I know who I am, my past. But they don’t feel like mine, not really. They feel secondhand, like someone told them to me. Yet they are so real. They’re mine. It’s hard to explain. And then sometimes I seem to just – forget. Or I think something has already happened that hasn’t happened yet. Time doesn’t make complete sense. It’s like it skips around, a few minutes here, a few minutes there.” 

Nick nodded. 

“What else?” 

Sabrina shrugged. 

“I feel… Everything. Everything just seems to be so much _more_. More intense. I laugh too hard or I cry too long or I act on emotions or feelings I normally would be able to regulate… That’s how I ended up with Harvey. I had a surge of my former feelings for him and, well, here we are. Me with Harvey, Roz furious as us both. I knew I was doing something out of character yet it just felt like I _had_ to do it. Like I had to be with Harvey, even at the expense of Roz.” 

“Have you tried to do any magic recently?” Nick continued. 

“Not really,” Sabrina realized. “I’ve been doing things the mortal way. Like I did before my Dark Baptism.” 

“You had powers even then, though,” Ambrose reminded her. “They weren’t nearly as strong, but you had them all the same. We all do. Our Dark Baptism just makes them stronger. You used yours quite often, at least around the house.” 

Nick reached for one of the candles. It was the one with her name on it. He placed it in front of her. 

“Can you light this candle?” he asked. Ambrose frowned. 

“What’s that got to do with anything?” He sensed Nick was onto something, but he had no idea as to what. 

“Of course I can,” Sabrina said, almost offended at the basic request. “That’s simple magic.” She lifted her hands and said the short spell. The candle sparked, then fizzled out. She frowned and repeated it. The same results. She tried again. Nothing. “But…” She looked at Nick, the first hint of fear crossing her eyes. “I should be able to do that…” 

Nick looked at Ambrose who was also looking to him for an answer. He looked as stunned as Sabrina. Nick brought his gaze back to Sabrina. 

“I think you’re reverting to being fully mortal,” he told her. “Your hair tipped me off. It’s been as white as lightning since your Dark Baptism. It was golden before, like it is now. Some of the other things that you’ve said, done… Ambrose theorized it, but he’s right. You’re becoming more and more mortal. I’d guess the Hell Sabrina is becoming more and more powerful.” 

“Oh no…” Ambrose muttered. “That Sabrina with a lot of power…” 

“Is dangerous,” Nick finished with a nod. 

“I’m not dangerous,” Sabrina insisted. “But mortal? I don’t want to be mortal. I mean, I want to have a normal life, but a normal life as a witch, not a mortal.” 

She stopped, surprised at her admission. 

With her system full of truth serum, she couldn’t deny it. She was a witch. Half mortal, to be sure, but a witch – rather, a celestial – all the same. There were parts of her mortal life she didn’t want to give up – her friends, mostly – but the magical world she had grown up in felt right. It felt like home. 

“You think I’m becoming mortal?” she asked. 

“I do,” Nick nodded. To prove his point, he held out his hand and uttered the same spell Sabrina had tried three times over. The candle blazed to life. He distinguished it with a quick breath of air. “When you split into two, you literally split into your two natures. The longer you stay in half, the further down each road you’ll go. Without all of your being, you’ll never be whole, never be _youM_ again. Not truly.” 

“Queen Sabrina will have an enormous amount of power,” Ambrose said, talking through the situation. “She’ll be ruthless with it.” 

“I’m not dangerous or ruthless or whatever else you two seem to think the other half of me is capable of.” Sabrina tried to sound demanding, angry. But really, she wondered if they were right. She could recall the way power coursed through her veins, the way she couldn’t help but chase after it the way the cartoon rabbit she loved as a child was lured by a carrot. “Stop saying that!” 

“When you went to Hell that first time, how did you feel?” Nick asked. Ambrose sat back in his chair, content to watch the inquisition and detail as much of it as he could. He was admittedly fascinated by the way Nick’s mind was working, the way he seemed to be capable of picking apart the complicated scenario before him. “Just that first time, with the mortals. What was it like?” 

“Scary,” Sabrina answered, both annoyance and confusion in her voice. “I was terrified of – everything. That something would happen to them, that I wouldn’t be successful, that I’d die trying to save you.” A cold chill ran through her as she met Nick’s eyes. “That I was too late to save you.” 

The words hit him hard, but he made himself stay calm, focused. 

“Why did you take the crown?” He braced himself for the answer. She continued to hold his eyes. 

“To save you.” 

Nick absorbed the information. She was full of truth serum. She had meant it when she told him she took the crown so she could save him. Deep down, where it mattered, he had always believed her. But there was still a part of him that had wondered if she had been chasing power all along. 

“You didn’t believe me.” 

Her words cut through his thoughts. She looked hurt. He sighed heavily. 

“I didn’t say that,” he shook his head. “What were those first days like as Queen of Hell?” 

She didn’t look like she believed him as she shifted her gaze away from him and focused on her hands. 

“I thought I could help,” she offered. “I thought I could make things better. I know it’s Hell and that those who are sentenced to the underworld have supposedly done horrible things, but there was this kind old man. He did sell his soul to Lucifer, but only to be the best chess player in the world. I couldn’t let him be sentenced to an eternity in Hell just for that.” 

“And that’s the problem,” Ambrose piped up. “You can never leave well enough alone.” 

“I was trying to do the right thing, Ambrose!” 

“Without any sort of consideration as to what the consequences are…” 

“Enough,” Nick cut in. “Yell at her later, Ambrose. Sabrina, answer the question.” 

“I did…” 

“What else?” he pushed. “How did you feel?” 

“Why do you keep asking me how I felt?” Sabrina challenged. She would have to answer the question – the answer was bubbling on her tongue – but she wanted to know why Nick was asking about her feelings several times over. 

“Answer the question,” he countered. “You’ll understand.” He held her eyes. “Trust me.” 

Sabrina sat back, her eyes on him once more, rising to the challenge she understood he had issued by requesting she trust his line of questioning. 

“I started to feel powerful,” she admitted. “And not in the ‘I have a lot of power because I’m a witch’ kind of way. In a ‘I can rule the world’ kind of way. It was like a drug.” She looked at Nick. “No offense.” 

“None taken,” he shot back, letting the pointed remark roll off his back. He had earned it, after all. “It got in your blood, didn’t it? The desire to be powerful?” 

Sabrina nodded. 

“It feels foreign, now. It’s another one of those memories that I have that feels like it's been whispered to me secondhand. I could have stopped at any point, at least at first, but I didn’t want to. I kept pushing.” She looked at Nick again, again found his eyes. “But I meant it when I said I would give it up.” 

For a moment, Nick wasn’t in the Spellman study. He was in his bedroom, breaking Sabrina’s heart and his own in the process, one hand on her cheek, the other on her arm, telling her he couldn’t be with her anymore. He blinked his eyes and was back in the study, Sabrina looking at him as though she could read his mind, Ambrose peering between the two with interest. 

“You may have meant it,” Nick acknowledged. “But you would have somehow, someway, ended up the queen all the same.” 

“I couldn’t let Caliban win,” she said. “He was going to try to take over earth!” 

“When you’re in Hell – or were in Hell – you lost yourself, didn’t you?” 

Nick and Sabrina held one another’s eyes, an intensity between them so charged it felt as though it would provide enough electricity to light the entire house and perhaps their distant neighbors, too. Ambrose felt like he was intruding. 

“It felt like...” She paused, trying to find the right words. “It sucked me in. Took me into its grips. It got under my skin and I couldn't get it out.” She continued to hold Nick’s eyes. “You saw that. You called me a ‘Morningstar.’” 

Nick sighed and broke their eye contact. 

“Hell brings out the worst in you,” he was blunt. “It takes the dark parts of you and exposes them. The longer you were there, the more it took hold of you. There’s a part of you – when you’re actually, wholly you – that wants power, wants the life that Queen of Hell offers you.” 

“That wants a father,” Ambrose realized. 

“That wants a father,” Nick echoed. 

“Good and evil,” Sabrina said so quietly neither of them quite heard her. 

“What did you say?” Ambrose asked. 

“Good and evil,” she said again. “I’m divided into two parts. Good and evil. The good side of me is becoming more and more mortal. The evil version of me is presiding over Hell.” 

“I suppose that’s a way to look at it,” Nick confirmed. “I wouldn’t go as far as calling Queen Sabrina evil, but I can understand the trajectory of that thought process.” 

“I have to be merged back,” Sabrina realized. “Soon.” She stood. “Let’s go.” 

“Go where?” Ambrose asked. “To merge you back? Just like that?” Sabrina ignored him and started towards the door. 

“No.” Nick took two determined strides across the small room and caught Sabrina by the arm. “It’s not that simple.” 

“Yes, it is.” She tugged her arm away from him, determined to go to Dorian’s, through the portal, and find her doppelganger. “I’m ending this.” 

“No.” Nick put himself between her and the door. “I’m all in on you merging yourself back together.” He had selfish reasons for wanting her to be – her – again. “But not until we have an idea about what will happen once you’re merged. There is too much at risk for you to just go jump back into Hell Sabrina.” 

“But…” 

“He’s right,” Ambrose spoke up, now on his feet. “As happy as I am that you now recognize the importance of merging your halves back to a whole, there’s the matter of what will happen if and when we do just that. You’re potentially stuck in stone, for one. Or else Caliban is and you’re the rightful Queen of Hell. As best we can guess, anyway. We don’t even know if we revert back in time or if we stay where we are. It could be like the last few months never happened.” 

“What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” she demanded. “Sit around becoming more and more mortal while the pair of you try to figure out my fate?” 

“More or less,” Ambrose shrugged. “I know that’s not the answer you want to hear, but we can’t mess this up. We go wrong, we could lose you, possibly end the world while we’re at it. Is that a risk you’re willing to take?” 

“Losing me?” she asked. “Yes.” Nick pursed his lips behind her. He wouldn’t stand for it. Once again, he had somehow found himself in a predicament that involved going through great lengths to save Sabrina. Once again, he would do whatever needed to be done. “But I won’t risk something happening to all of you.” 

“You’ll stand down then,” Ambrose informed her. “You won’t do anything crazy, rash. You’ll allow us to find a proper way out of this. You won’t rush headlong into this. You can’t.” 

“Fine,” Sabrina nodded, her arms crossed over her chest, hands tucked out of sight. Nick frowned. 

“Hold up your hands where we can see them.” 

She looked over her shoulder at him. 

“I just said…” 

“Hold your hands up,” he said again. “I know you. You agreed, but had your fingers crossed.” It was her signature move. He looked to Ambrose. “She does that. Promise she’ll do something – like not do a mandrake spell or that she’s going to school – with her fingers crossed to invalidate the promise she’s making.” 

Sabrina glared at him. He didn’t care. He also knew he was right by the way she huffed and held up both of her hands, fingers uncrossed. 

“I swear I won’t go down to Hell and merge myself why the pair of you figure out what I’m supposed to do next.” 

She would only admit if they asked – and only because she was full of truth serum – but if she had to hand select two people to be in charge of her fate at the moment, it would be Ambrose Spellman and Nicholas Scratch, and not only because they were the most powerful warlocks she knew.

“Very well then,” Ambrose nodded. “Any further questions?” he asked Nick.

“I don’t think so,” Nick shook his head. “We still have more questions than answers, but we know more than we did.” 

“You’re welcome,” Sabrina grumbled. Nick continued to ignore her. “How long until this serum wears off?” 

“Another few hours,” Ambrose answered. “I recommend you go upstairs and stay there for the night, least someone – namely the aunties – ask you a question you’d rather not give an honest answer to.” 

Sabrina stewed, but he wasn’t wrong. 

“I won’t go anywhere,” she said. “Are we done here?” 

“For now,” Ambrose agreed. “I expect Mambo Marie will be here any moment now for me to move on to the next problem.” 

“Want me to stick around?” Nick asked. Ambrose considered him. 

“I’ll need your help,” he nodded. “But not right now. Go home. Get some rest. I have a feeling sleep will become a commodity in the coming days.” 

“You know where I am,” Nick said. 

“This new friendship you two have developed is odd,” Sabrina stated, looking from one to the other. 

“Deal with it,” Ambrose quipped. Nick said nothing. He opened the study door. Sabrina followed him out. In the entry, he paused at the front door. 

“Do what Ambrose said and stay in tonight, okay?” he asked. There was no denying the genuine concern in his tone. 

“I will,” Sabrina nodded. 

“Okay then.” Nick turned to leave with a reminder to himself that for now, this was the way it had to be. 

“Nick.” 

His heart jumped at hearing her say his shortened name. He kept his composure as he turned back to her with a raised eyebrow. Sabrina swallowed hard, realizing she didn’t actually have anything to say. She simply didn’t want him to leave, not yet. She searched for words. 

“The candle…” 

Nick shook his head. 

“Don’t,” he said. “No explanation needed.” Given how he had treated her, he couldn’t quite blame her. “It’s fine.” 

“It’s not…” 

“Sabrina,” he cut her off. “I meant what I said earlier. This isn’t a conversation we should have right now.” 

“Okay,” she agreed softly. “You’ll be careful getting back to the Academy? Just, with whatever happened earlier…” 

“I’m going to teleport when I’m outside.” He felt the familiar crackle between them. That crackle was what had led him to pull her into his arms in the past, to kiss her, sometimes sweetly, sometimes with a little more passion. To kiss her forehead like she was something precious. He had to ignore it right now. “Sleep well, Sabrina.” 

He left then, not trusting himself to stay in her presence any longer. He made good on his word to teleport once he was outside and arrived a moment later at the Academy. He hurried inside and upstairs, his goal singular. In his room, he opened his nightstand drawer, ignored the magic marker that seemed to call to him like a beacon, and picked up a simple hand mirror. It took two tries before she filled his mirror. 

“Nicky,” she greeted. “It’s been a while. To what do I owe the pleasure?” 

He took a deep breath. 

“Prudence,” he started, “I think it's time for you to come home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blackwood's terrors are out and about. Sabrina is truly two: Sabrina Spellman, Sabrina Morningstar. One becoming more mortal and feeling everything. One becoming more powerful and feeling less and less. I know she's not "in character" at the moment, but... she's not herself. So how can she be? 
> 
> But Nick? He'd make a great lawyer with all that questioning. Broke my heart a little with that candle, though. 
> 
> And sorry about that cliffhanger of sorts... I'm now working from home for the next 3 weeks so you might (or might not?) get updates a bit quicker. We'll all find out together. We'll also find out how long I can go without seeing people (spoiler alert: not long). 
> 
> Thoughts? Feelings? Questions? Your comments are EVERYTHING!
> 
> And man, you all ask REALLY good questions. Questions I can't answer without giving away big parts of the plot. Keep 'em coming - I'm so impressed!


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You asked for Roz? And Prudence? Well... Here you go...

Harvey looked across the table at his girlfriend. She was a million miles away, absentmindedly stirring her melting milkshake. He huffed in annoyance. 

“Sabrina.” 

She snapped to attention, nearly knocking the milkshake over in the process. 

“What?” she asked distractedly. 

“Did you hear anything I just said?” 

“Um, of course,” she tried. “I think that’s wonderful.” 

Harvey frowned. 

“I tell you I’m basically failing Geometry and you say ‘that’s wonderful?’ What’s going on, Sabrina?” 

“Nothing,” she shook her head. She silently chastised herself. She had thought of nothing but how to thwart the time loop she had created since Nick and Ambrose questioned her two days earlier while also avoiding both of them as much as possible. Ambrose because he never seemed to miss a chance to lecture her about her choices these days, Nick because there was simply too much there she didn’t want to unpack. “I’m sorry, Harvey. I was distracted. Something with my aunts.” 

It wasn’t entirely a lie. She was certainly concerned about what would happen if they found out what she had done. About what could happen to them because of what she had done. 

“Is that all?” he asked after a beat. “I didn’t talk to you at all yesterday. When I called, Ambrose told me you were busy – all three times. It kind of felt like you were avoiding me.” 

“I was at the Academy.” Not a lie. She had stuck to her room as long as she could, until she was certain the truth serum had worn off, then ventured first downstairs for food and then to the Academy as she figured she may as well appear in class there for a change. She certainly hadn’t spent the evening pushing away thoughts about how she hadn’t seen Nick the entire time she was there, even though she had spent a couple of hours in the library with Ambrose in relative peace or at least what passed for peace between them. “I’m behind in my classes, so you know, lots of work to catch up on.” 

“Right,” Harvey nodded. He turned his milkshake around in his hands. “I’d guess Nick goes to the Academy still?” 

Sabrina shrugged. 

“I have no idea.” It was true. She didn’t know if Nick was still formally taking classes. She hadn’t seen him, for one, but he was also far more advanced than the remaining coven members. She just couldn’t see him and Melvin sitting side by side, learning about ruins or sacred geometry or whatever else they had been taught that day. Nick already knew it all. “Maybe he’s telling the truth, that he’s bored at the Academy. Hence the enrollment at Baxter High.” 

“He’s got other motives,” Harvey said with certainty. Sabrina pursed her lips to keep from confirming Harvey’s fears. “He’s always been underhanded. He has other reasons for pretending to be a high school student.” 

“But isn’t that what I’m doing?” Sabrina asked before she could stop herself. “Pretending to be a high school student?” 

“You are a high school student,” Harvey said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “You’re sixteen.” 

“I’m also a witch.” _For now,_ she added to herself. She wouldn’t be much longer. Even the simplest spell took her several tries. She had certainly passed the time yesterday by trying to do as many as she could, likely not her smartest move, using up what power she did have, but she just couldn’t accept that she couldn’t so much as light a candle. 

“So?” 

“So, I’m not exactly your average high school mortal, am I?” 

Harvey’s frown deepened. 

“Where’s this coming from?” he wondered. “It’s never bothered you before.” Sabrina sighed. He was wrong. It had always bothered her, this duality she had to live with. It just hadn’t been as big of an issue until the last year of her life.

“Just stress from trying to do it all.” Which, she reasoned, was the truth. “Can we talk about something else? Literally anything else. Tell me about basketball.” 

Harvey launched into a monologue about the inner workings of the basketball team. Sabrina did her best to look interested, to listen. He was rambling on about the starting lineup and how he thought he could contribute more if they just let him when Theo and Robin walked in. Sabrina sat up straight, glad for the interruption, only to notice Roz was with them. Harvey looked over his shoulder to see what had caught her attention.

“Oh, hey!” he said. “Theo and Robin are here!” His face fell. “And Roz.” 

Theo spied them first. He gave a little wave and smiled. Robin acknowledged them with a polite tilt of his head. Roz, however, glared daggers, then turned away with a cold shoulder. Sabrina’s heart sunk. Theo looked conflicted for a moment, then mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ and went to sit with Roz at a table across the diner. 

“So she still hates us,” Harvey commented. 

“Can you blame her?” Sabrina asked. “You dumped her for me. She was my best friend.” 

“But you’re – you,” Harvey said with a shrug of his shoulder. “She said she wasn’t surprised when I told her I still had feelings for you. Besides, think about that Pygmalion spell. It didn’t work for a reason, right?” 

“That spell could have been something Caliban made up for all we know,” Sabrina said. She looked in Roz’s direction. “I just… I miss my best friend.” 

Sitting there, she realized just what she had done by going to Harvey in the days after her initial split and hinting around that she may still be interested. She didn’t understand why she had done it in the first place, given that his name had been on that candle too and she knew it was wrong regardless. But she had and she had hurt someone she cared about in the process. 

_That’s all I seem to do,_ she thought to herself. _Hurt the people I love._

She decided to do something about it. 

“I’m going over there,” she declared. Harvey frowned again. 

“What? Why?” 

“This isn’t right,” Sabrina said. “We’re supposed to be her friend.” She eyed Harvey. “You were supposed to be her boyfriend.” 

“It’s not like I cheated....” 

Sabrina ignored him, pushed down the fleeting thought of how Nick had cheated on her, seemingly several times over, and crossed the diner with determined strides. Roz, Robin, and Theo all looked at her in surprise when she stopped at their table. 

“Roz?” she asked. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” 

“I have absolutely nothing to say to you,” Roz informed her. “Go back to your boyfriend. You’re clearly on a date.” 

“This is ridiculous,” Sabrina plowed on. In the moment, she felt more like herself than she had in a while. “We’ve been best friends since kindergarten. Can’t we talk about this? We can work through it. We can work through anything!” 

“Not this,” Roz shook her head. “You went too far this time, Sabrina.” 

“But…” 

“No!” Roz raised her voice. The act caught Sabrina by surprise, enough so that she took a step back. This was a new side of Roz, one that she wasn’t sure she liked. “We spent hours upon hours trying to help you get your boyfriend out of Hell. Then we went through a whole other version of it – me as a statue – while you were off chasing a crown you said you didn’t want. You claim it, only to give it up, come back here, and steal my boyfriend. I assume because your own boyfriend dumped you, and God forbid you be single for five minutes.” 

“That’s not fair…,” Sabrina tried. 

“What’s not fair is you stealing my boyfriend,” Roz said. “Or constantly dragging us into your messes. We keep risking our lives for you, Sabrina, and you just keep putting us into position to make us have to. It’s no wonder Nick broke up with you – you were too wrapped up in your own selfish desires to recognize just how messed up he was.” She held Sabrina’s eyes. “After everything he did for you, you couldn’t stick around long enough to hold his hand for a few minutes. I would have dumped you, too.” She paused for a beat. “But I guess I did dump you, didn’t I? And I don’t regret it.” 

Tears poured freely down Sabrina’s cheeks as the magnitude of what she had done by telling Harvey she still had feelings for him truly sank in. 

“Roz…” 

She was speechless. She looked at Theo. 

“Theo, do you feel like that too?” 

Theo shrugged uncomfortably. 

“You do get yourself into messes,” he said diplomatically. “We never really said no to helping you, but to be fair, you didn’t really give us the option to.” 

Harvey appeared at her side then. 

“I think it’s time to go,” he said, his hand wrapping around her arm. “Come on, Sabrina.” 

She tugged her arm away. 

“No!” She looked at her friends. “You guys, I never…” 

“Save it, Sabrina,” Roz cut in. “I don’t want to hear it from you anymore. I’m done with you and everything that comes with you.” 

Sabrina opened her mouth to argue or retort, she didn’t know which. Except there was a loud crash followed by screams as all the clocks at Cee’s came tumbling from the wall. Around her, fellow diners dived for cover or else stared around blankly. Behind the counter, Cee looked bewildered. 

“Oh no,” Sabrina breathed. 

“Is this you?” Roz asked. She picked up a small cuckoo clock that had landed squarely in the middle of their table. “See? This is what I’m talking about!” 

Sabrina backed away quickly and ran for the door, Harvey on her heels. 

“Sabrina!” he called. “Sabrina, wait up!” 

Sabrina kept going, her sole focus on finding Nick or Ambrose, whichever one she crossed first. Harvey finally caught up to her and caught her by the elbow. 

“Sabrina!” 

“What?” she whirled to face him. “What, Harvey?” 

“What the hell happened back there?” he demanded. “Did you do that? Make the clocks fall?” 

She very nearly told him the truth. That she was only half herself. But she caught herself. 

“I lost my temper.” A half-truth. “Sometimes, when I lose my temper, things like that happen.” 

“It’s okay,” Harvey soothed. She let him pull her into a hug she didn’t really want. In that moment, her relationship felt more like a burden than a safe place to land. “I’m sorry Roz said such awful things to you.” 

“She wasn’t wrong,” Sabrina said into his shoulder. 

She noted how different it was to hug him. He was tall and thin, felt a little less steady, a little more likely to crumble under pressure. She couldn’t help but think of Nick, before at least, when he would pull her into his arms. He was solid and strong, formidable. In Harvey’s arms, she realized she felt like she was the one who had to do the protecting, not that he wouldn’t try to protect her, because he most certainly would, but because she felt like she owed it to him, to make up for her witch half. With Nick, there was never a question of this half or that. He would have first fought by her side, then protected her at all cost, pushed her behind him if she tried to be the one to protect him. 

He _had_ protected her at all cost. 

It had cost him everything. 

She felt sick. 

“You’re not selfish,” Harvey soothed, oblivious to her turmoil. “Far from it. Look at what you’ve sacrificed for the people you love.” 

She was just starting to realize what the people who loved her had sacrificed for her. She pulled away from the embrace but kept her hands on his forearms. Deep down, she knew she should let him go, walk away. But something else, also deep down, kept holding on. She didn’t have it in her to face that decision right now or even to understand what had driven her back to Harvey in the first place. Those were big questions she just couldn’t address. 

“I need to go,” she said. “I need to see my aunts, have Hilda make me a calming potion.” 

It was on the agenda, to have her aunt make her something that would help her sleep, but not before she made another stop. 

“I’ll drive you home…” 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. She wasn’t going home. “I want to walk. The fresh air will do me good.” 

“I’ll walk with you…” 

“Harvey, no,” she said gently. “I appreciate you. I do. But I just need some time to cool off, okay? I’ll see you at school tomorrow.” 

“Okay,” he nodded after a beat. “If you’re sure…” 

“I’m sure.” 

She let him kiss her goodnight, then made herself walk away at a normal pace. When she was sure she was out of sight, she broke into a run and didn’t stop until she reached the Academy. Inside the safety of its doors, she took a moment to pause and catch her breath. Once under control, her feet carried her from the entryway. 

She was at the entrance of the sanctum before she realized it. It was as though something outside of herself had carried her there. She knew as her hand closed around the handle to enter that Nick would be found on the other side. 

“Sabrina?” he questioned when she appeared. One look was all he needed to know something had happened. 

“All the clocks at Cee’s fell off the wall, all at once. I was arguing with Roz and they just – fell.” 

Nick sighed and sat back in his chair. 

“Are you okay?” 

Sabrina frowned in surprise. That wasn’t what she expected, a question to check on how she was doing. She was expecting another lecture or at the very least, questions about the clocks. 

“I’m…” 

‘Fine’ was on the tip of her tongue, but it would be a complete and utter lie. Still, she felt she had to be guarded around Nick. 

“I’ll be okay,” she finished. 

He didn’t look convinced but nodded all the same. 

“You said you were arguing when the clocks fell?” 

“Yes. I prefer to not get into over what.” 

“I can guess,” Nick said dryly. Sabrina wrapped her arms around herself, whether in defense or protectiveness, she wasn’t sure. He nodded towards the empty chair across from his workstation. “You can sit down.” Slowly, she lowered herself to the edge of the wooden chair, careful not to get too comfortable. Whatever there was between them was bubbling like hot lava, brewing just below the surface, pushing against the crust, weakening it. When it finally erupted, she was certain it would cause mass destruction. She couldn’t handle anything else tonight. She could tell by the look of concentration on his face that he was thinking over something. She waited for him to continue, lest she be the cause of the inevitable eruption they were careening towards. “When darkness fell in the middle of the afternoon, what were you doing?” he finally asked. 

“I was annoyed at Harvey,” she answered. “It was the end of the school day and we were at my locker. I had a million things to do, but he just kept trying to,” she trailed off, deciding not to tell Nick that Harvey had, at the time, been desperately trying to get her to go to his house with him where they could be alone. He had been pushing her to have sex, but she still just didn’t feel ready. “Anyway, I snapped and we were pitched into darkness.” 

“When other stuff has happened – watches stopping, clocks falling off walls, things like that – have you been mad or upset or something along those lines?” 

“I was annoyed at Ambrose when the clock fell off the wall at my aunts’ right after he found out what I’d done,” she remembered. “I think we had a fight the day his watch stopped, too.” 

“My watch stopped the day before you and I crossed paths. I had been back in Greendale a day or so and was out for a run. Any chance you remember that day and what might have happened?” 

“I was frustrated with Zelda,” Sabrina said easily. “For all of her lecturing about not spending time as a family, she’s been rather absent, running the Academy and exploring her relationship with Mambo. Hilda was busy, too, planning her wedding and Ambrose is always mad at me these days. I guess I was a little upset that no one had time for me.” 

She remembered it clearly. She had spent the morning largely alone, then ate lunch by herself, wasted away the afternoon without seeing a soul. By the time dinner rolled around, she desperately wanted company. But everyone had been too busy for her and she had eaten a lonely meal of cheese and crackers and an apple while standing at the kitchen counter. She had felt lonely and upset that no one seemed to have time for even a conversation with her. 

“I think, when these weird glitches with time happen, it’s a response to something you’re feeling strongly, be it anger, jealousy, whatever,” Nick told her. 

“Makes sense,” Sabrina shrugged. “Or it doesn’t, but I see the logic.” 

Nick watched her carefully, unable to tamp down the concern he felt brewing. She seemed sad, maybe even a little lost. She raised her eyes to his. 

“How do you explain when I forget things or when I think something that will happen in the future has already happened?” 

“I don’t have an explanation for that,” he admitted. “It’s something with the time loop. That’s the best I can offer you.” 

They fell quiet, each lost in their own thoughts. 

“What if we can’t fix it?” she asked after a few moments. “What if there’s no getting me out of this one?” 

“We’ll fix it,” Nick promised her. “Ambrose and I will figure it out.” 

“But what if you don’t?” she pushed. “What if whatever is going to happen, happens, and it’s too late?” 

“We won’t let that happen, Sabrina,” Nick said with certainty. 

“Maybe you should,” she said before she could stop herself. Nick frowned. 

“What?” 

Sabrina sighed and shook her head. 

“Nothing…” 

“Sabrina, what’s going on?” he prompted. 

“It’s nothing, Nick,” she insisted. 

“I can’t help you if you won’t talk to me,” he reminded her.

She looked at him and found she wanted to spill her guts. She wanted to tell him the dark thoughts that plagued her, the fears she felt deep down, how much she was struggling with her emotions. She wanted to tell him she felt alone, like everyone she loved was leaving her, him included. Ambrose was constantly mad at her, Zelda was running the Academy and leading their coven, all while finding her way in a new relationship, and Hilda was getting married, all of her limited free time spent with Cee. She had Harvey, but she didn’t have Roz. Or, it seemed, Theo. She wanted to confess that she felt like she deserved it, that she had caused too much trouble and was finally getting her comeuppance by being the odd one out. Instead, she swallowed all of those thoughts and fears and decided to share something else. 

“I went to Hell.” 

Nick looked at her sharply. 

“Tell me you mean before all of this,” he said urgently. “Tell me you didn’t go down there as you are now.” 

“The day it went dark in the afternoon,” she confessed. He groaned and covered his face with his hands. 

“Dammit, Sabrina…” 

“I wanted to know how she was doing,” she rushed on in an effort to explain herself. “I needed to check on her. And you were right, Nick. She’s awful. She was gleeful about dragging souls to Hell, treating Lilith like a pet…” 

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?” Nick asked. “This time loop thing is fragile, at best. You go down to Hell, where I’m sure you still have plenty of enemies, Queen or not, and the right people or demons or entities or whatever the Heaven else is down there see there are two of you, and we’re all done for.” His voice rose. “Do you not think, Sabrina? Do you ever pause for five damned seconds and ponder what might happen if you follow through on whatever terrible idea you’ve had? You’re a brilliant witch. You should know better…” 

“I get it,” she broke in. “I’m a terrible person. I don’t need one more person to tell me that today, Nicholas. I’m selfish and rash and more trouble than I’m worth.” She pushed her chair back with force. “I’m sorry to bother you. I’ll go.” 

Nick was on his feet and at her side before she could take more than a couple of steps. 

“Stop.” His hand closed around her wrist, keeping her in place. She refused to look at him. He could feel her trembling. He fought the desire, the instinct, to pull her into his arms to comfort her. “No one, least of all me, thinks you’re a terrible person. Rash? Absolutely. You make decisions on the fly, always with the best of intentions, but sometimes, Sabrina, it would benefit you to slow down and think. I know Ambrose hasn’t been the most hospitable with you lately, and maybe I just took it too far too, but it’s only because we’re worried. Neither of us want to see you get hurt.” He paused for a moment, then decided to just be honest. “I don’t think either of us would survive it if something happened to you.” 

Sabrina finally raised her eyes to his. While her own were blurred by tears, his were something else entirely. She forgot everything else. 

“Your eyes are clear,” she said softly. Nick looked confused. 

“Clear?” 

She nodded. 

“They were so cloudy – before. They’re clear now.” 

Nick understood. His eyes had been clouded with drugs, alcohol, and pain when he left Greendale. 

“There’s a lot that’s clear about me now,” he told her. He let go of her wrist, confident she wouldn’t run away. “Please, Sabrina, think before you act. That’s all I’m asking. All Ambrose is asking.” 

She nodded. She vowed to herself that she would be better, that she would slow down and think through her decisions instead of latching on to the first thing that occurred to her. She had said that before, but this time, she promised herself she meant it. 

“Where did you go?” she asked, deciding now was as good of a time as any to try to get more information out of Nick about his whereabouts the last few months. 

“I told you – home. Romania.” 

“But… Why?” 

Nick shook his head. 

“It’s still not the time, Sabrina.” 

“Why not?” she challenged. “Why won’t you tell me?” 

“Because I want to tell you,” he countered. “Not just half of you.” 

Sabrina found herself unable to form a quick reply as the weight of his words sank in. Before she could say anything at all, the sanctum door opened. She looked, expecting Ambrose. Her jaw fell open. 

“Prudence?” 

“Ah, Sabrina Spellman,” she greeted. “Or is it Morningstar now?” 

Sabrina ignored the jab. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“It was time for me to come home,” she said in that condescending way of hers. “I was looking for Nicky, figured he would be here when I didn’t find him in his room or the library.” She sized up Sabrina. “Can’t say I’m surprised to find you with him.” 

Sabrina narrowed her eyes. She couldn’t forget Ambrose saying he had a broken heart because of her. 

“I’ll leave you to your reunion with Nicholas,” she said. “I have things to do.” 

She made to leave. 

“Sabrina.” 

She stopped at the door and looked at Nick. 

“Remember what I said.” 

He held her eyes as though willing her to just be reasonable for a change. She nodded, then disappeared. 

“She’s different,” Prudence noted, her eyes still on the doorframe where Sabrina had been. 

“It’s a very long story,” Nick sighed, returning to his seat. 

“She’s gone straight to Ambrose to tell him I’m back,” Prudence took up the chair Sabrina had abandoned. 

“Can you blame her?” Nick countered. “I should have told him myself, but we’ve both been buried in research.” 

“Blackwood.” 

“Among other things,” Nick confirmed. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to confide in Prudence about Sabrina’s dual existence. He thought it wise to let Ambrose dictate the course of that particular revelation. “Mambo is doing everything she can to find him. She’s uncertain of what he’s up to, just that it involves, and I quote, ‘horrors of the likes of which we have never seen before.’ She’s using her brand of magic to try to learn more, but it’s slow going.” 

“I want the right to kill him,” she declared. “I deserve that.” 

“No one will begrudge you that,” Nick assured her. “He has Agatha and the twins with him. Perhaps they can be saved.” 

“I’ll do whatever I can to save Agatha,” Prudence said. “I’ve lost Dorcas. I won’t lose her, too.” 

A heavy silence passed between them. 

“Where did you go, Pru?” Nick asked after a moment. “When we separated?” 

“Everywhere,” she shrugged. “I was searching for something, but I think, maybe, that something has always been here. I was considering returning when you called. It felt like a sign.” 

“I’m glad you came,” Nick said sincerely. “It was the right choice, Prudence.” 

“I suppose we’ll find out,” she mused. “Care you explain whatever I walked in on between you and Sabrina?” 

“I’d rather not.” 

“You came back for her,” Prudence said knowingly. 

“There are – obstacles,” Nick said, not bothering to deny it. 

“The mortal?” 

“He’s one,” Nick confirmed. “But definitely not the biggest one.” 

Prudence studied him in that manner of hers. He was careful to clear his mind, lest she do a bit of mind reading. 

“You know me well,” she said, acknowledging his efforts to keep her out. “You’re not telling me something.” 

“I’m sure you’ll find out sooner rather than later.” 

Prudence pushed her long form to a standing position. 

“Very well then. I suppose I’ll turn in for the night, brace myself for facing Ambrose in the morning.” 

“I’m glad you’re back, Prudence,” Nick said with sincerity. 

“Time will tell,” Prudence shrugged before she left the room. 

Nick shook his head. 

Time will tell. 

No truer words had ever been spoken.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think - I hope - you got a bit more of a peek into Sabrina. She's starting to wonder why she went back to Harvey in the first place and as some of you have guessed, her struggles go deep and she's keeping a lot of it to herself. She still is and its breaking her a little more each day. She was a bit more herself when she demanded Roz talk to her again and her comparison of her and Nick to a bubbling volcano is very much true. 
> 
> A lot happened here. Things that might not seem big, but are. Prudence is back now and she and Sabrina are going to have a little "chat" soon. 
> 
> And Nick? He just wants to talk. To Sabrina - the REAL Sabrina. He has to get her there first though... 
> 
> I hope you all are safe and well and finding ways to embrace this odd time of stillness. Thank you for reading. Let me know what you thought in the comments. I live for them - especially now that I'm not seeing humans outside of my computer screen! :)


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter, but a lot happens... Shall we peek at Queen Sabrina?

The tapping of footsteps broke through the blissful quiet. Sabrina looked up from her book to find Prudence Night practically floating down the aisle.

“Is there no place a girl can go get some peace?” she asked.

“I wasn’t looking for you, if that’s your concern,” Prudence retorted. “I was searching for Mambo Marie, thought I might find her in the desecrated church.” Her eyes narrowed at Sabrina. “What are _you_ doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at cheerleading practice or something?”

“It was canceled,” Sabrina answered. “The field is too wet from last night’s rain.”

It had poured a rain of biblical proportions the night before, once she was home from talking with Nick and tucked away in her room. Ambrose hadn’t blamed that on her, at least. He thought it was Blackwood. She honestly couldn’t be sure.

“And why are you here?” Prudence pressed. “All alone, at that?”

“No one comes to the desecrated church anymore,” Sabrina informed her. “I thought I might get to read my book in peace.”

She had no interest in the book. It wasn’t even a reading assignment for in English. But the desecrated church felt like a safe place to go, a place where she could hide. It had been working out well until Prudence showed up.

“What are you doing back in Greendale anyway?” Sabrina questioned. “Haven’t you done enough, breaking Ambrose’s heart?”

“You should look in a mirror when you say that,” Prudence countered. “You left Nicholas devastated.”

“Nick broke up with me,” Sabrina reminded Prudence. “I’m not the one that wanted our relationship to end.”

“He came back here for you,” Prudence stated the obvious. “I know you know that.”

“I don’t know why he came back.” They both knew she was lying. “I’m with Harvey now.”

Prudence sniffed her disapproval.

“Your mortal is but a distraction. At best, he’s a first love you can’t quite let go, even though you know you should.” She looked directly into Sabrina’s eyes. “You did the candle spell, didn’t you?”

Sabrina’s eyes widened. She had momentarily forgotten Prudence could read minds and she had been envisioning the candle spell at the mention of her lovers, past and present.

“You told me to!”

“You silly girl.” She took a seat on the pew behind Sabrina causing Sabrina to turn to look at her. “Did you honestly think that would work? Burning a candle to get rid of your feelings?”

“You said it would!”

Prudence rolled her eyes.

“It’s child’s play. Nothing more, nothing less. It may perhaps make you feel better – a placebo effect – but that’s all.” She looked at Sabrina in disbelief. “As if lighting a candle would make your feelings for the mortal and the warlock go away.”

“Nick found the candle,” Sabrina told her. “He seemed to know what it was, what it meant.”

“Nicholas Scratch isn’t exactly an ignorant warlock, is he?” Prudence reminded her. “He knows all about the candle ritual. Which means he knows it doesn’t actual work, but I suppose for him, the intention behind it was salt in his very deep wounds.”

“You were the one that said we weren’t meant to be in the first place!” Sabrina snapped.

“Everyone says you’re such a brilliant witch,” Prudence clucked. “I simply don’t see it.” Sabrina glared at her. Prudence acted as though she were giving Sabrina the honor of her time. “I was trying to help you see the obvious. Nicholas was hurting. He needed you. Perhaps my methods weren’t conventional, but I thought I knew you well enough to know which buttons to push. You would get mad at Nick – which, you did, actually – and his own temper would flare, the pair of you would have it out, realize you love each other, and get back together.”

“You are horrible at relationship advice,” Sabrina informed her. “Which shouldn’t be a surprise, given how you hurt Ambrose.”

“My mistakes with Ambrose are mine to bear,” she said in a rare vulnerable moment. “I understand the choices I made, and the subsequent consequences.”

Sabrina wondered if that was meant as a double-edged sword, if Prudence’s truth was supposed to be her own as well.

“I won’t allow you to hurt him again,” she told Prudence. Unlike many of her fellow coven members, she had never been afraid of the formidable witch. Even with waning powers, she was willing to go to the mat in the name of defending her family, particularly Ambrose.

“Your fortitude is admirable,” Prudence assessed. “But know, dear Sabrina, that the same goes for Nicholas. He’s been through enough at your hand. Don’t you dare tangle him back up in your web if you don’t intend to keep him there.”

She rose to her feet, eyes locked on Sabrina’s. The two witches stared one another down for a long moment. Prudence nodded once, breaking the standoff.

“I’ll leave you to your book.” She started down the aisle but turned back to Sabrina. “I know you’re hiding something.”

“Always suspicious,” Sabrina quipped.

“Also always right,” Prudence volleyed. “Whatever it is, it’s hanging over you.” Her eyes narrowed a bit. “Yet it’s still not the thing that’s weighing you down the most.” She smirked a bit at how Sabrina tried and failed to hide the effect her words had on her. “Toodles, Sabrina. I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

She left, leaving Sabrina alone once more.

Sabrina sat back in the pew with a huff. She didn’t know what she was more annoyed about. Prudence’s terrible advice about the candle and Nick, the way she had hurt Ambrose, or the fact that her and her condescending attitude were back in Greendale.

 _It’s the fact that she’s right,_ a voice within her said.

“Shut up,” she muttered to her inner voice.

She picked up her book, laid down across the pew, and went back to reading.

If she was here, she reasoned, she would at least be out of the way.

Out of the way was how people seemed to prefer her these days.

* * *

A long shadow fell over his workspace. His body stilled. He didn’t have to look up to know who that shadow belonged to. He braced himself and raised his eyes.

“Prudence.”

“Ambrose.”

The pair studied one another, each assessing the situation, searching the other for any sign of danger. Ambrose broke the barrier between them.

“You look well.”

“You look exhausted,” she countered.

Ambrose waved his hands to indicate the texts that covered the surface before him.

“Just another day in Greendale.” He stuck his pen behind his ear and leaned back. “Speaking of Greendale, what brings you back here?”

“Nicholas called.” She put an elegant hand on the back of the chair across from Ambrose. “May I have a seat?” Ambrose nodded once. Prudence lowered herself to the chair. “He tells me Blackwood is causing more trouble.”

“‘Terrors of which we have never seen before,’ to quote Mambo Marie,” Ambrose confirmed. “It’s one of multiple issues I’m faced with at the moment.” He leveled a look on Prudence. “Your return could potentially be another.”

“I’m not here to cause trouble, Ambrose,” Prudence shook her head. “Nicky’s call got me to come home, but I was already considering it. Whatever I was searching for isn’t out there in the great big world. It’s here, in Greendale. I couldn’t run from that fact anymore.” She paused. “No more than Nicholas could, I suppose.”

“You two are quite the pair,” Ambrose observed.

“We have some commonalities,” Prudence agreed. “One of which is an intricate tie to the Spellmans.”

“I’ll be honest with you, Prudence,” Ambrose crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t have the time nor the brain space to explore whatever remains of our relationship.”

He thought, perhaps, Prudence looked a bit hurt. Still, she covered it well. She would never be one to show her cards.

“Understood,” she said. “In the meantime, I’m here to help bring down my father. Whatever it takes.”

“Very well,” Ambrose agreed. “Your help is certainly needed. There’s only so much I can shoulder.”

“What’s going on?” she asked. “Nicholas was buried in books last night as well, Sabrina with him. I just found her hiding in the desecrated church…”

“What was she doing?” Ambrose asked suspiciously.

“Reading,” Prudence shrugged. “A mortal story, from the cover I glimpsed. Seems she wanted to be alone.”

“As long as she’s not getting into or causing trouble, let her read,” he mused.

“She’s different,” Prudence continued. “Right down to her hair. Something is going on with her.”

Ambrose considered confiding Sabrina’s dilemma in Prudence, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Not yet. It felt like something he needed to keep quiet, at least for now.

“Nicholas will help me with her,” he declared. “If you want to help us figure out what Blackwood is up to and how to stop him, I won’t turn you down. You do deserve the right to be the one to claim his head, after all.”

“I will rip him apart,” Prudence said with a quiet steel. “Limb by limb.” She held Ambrose’s eyes. “That’s a promise.”

* * *

Nick found himself standing in front of Dorian’s.

It wasn’t his intention to come there, but his run had taken him to the bar without much thought. The familiar desire for absinthe was there, but his curiosity burned much brighter. He pulled the door open. The bar, as it usually was these days, was empty. Dorian, however, was behind it, forever at the ready for a wayward warlock.

“Ah, back again,” he greeted. “Took you longer than I thought it would.” He observed Nick’s clothing. “Are you – engaging in physical fitness?”

The idea of exercise was blasphemous to him. But then again, he had been blessed, or was it cursed?, with perfection.

“I was on a run,” Nick confirmed. He took a stool at the bar, but without intentions of drinking. “I’ll have a glass of water, if you don’t mind.”

“What else?” Dorian asked as he turned on a tap.

“Just the water.”

“Committed to the sober life, are you?”

“I have to be.” Nick took a long swig of his water. The portal disguised as a painting caught his eye and inspired a question. “That day you had me watch the bar for you…”

“‘Watch the bar’ is a loose phrase for what you did. I came back and the place was empty.”

“Because your business is booming these days,” Nick fired back. “Where did you go that day?”

“I had errands to run.”

“Such as?”

“Such as – errands.” Dorian absentmindedly wiped down the sparkling countertop. Nick grew more suspicious of him. “Warlock though I may be, I do still have to take care of the necessities from time to time.”

“You sold your soul to the Dark Lord,” Nick said, taking a different angle. “Why?”

“To be forever young and beautiful.” Dorian did a chef’s kiss to accentuate his point.

“We’re warlocks,” Nick reminded him. “We have centuries of being young and beautiful before we begin to age slowly and gracefully.”

“An opportunity presented itself and I took it,” Dorian drawled. “I am a very vain man, Mr. Scratch.”

“How long ago did you sell your soul?”

“Why so many questions?”

“I’m trying to figure you out,” Nick confessed. “There’s something about you that’s not adding up.”

“Isn’t that the way with all warlocks?” Dorian asked. “None of us are known for our nobility.”

Nick studied him. There was something about him that stirred some sort of knowing in his soul. He felt like he knew something about Dorian. It was buried somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind where he couldn’t quite access.

“What about your parents?” Nick pressed. “Where did you come from?”

“Parents?” Dorian repeated. “Who needs them?”

“You came from somewhere,” Nick stated.

“We all do,” Dorian shrugged.

Nick grew more frustrated. He felt strongly that he needed to know more about Dorian Gray. Why was not a question he had an answer to however. He decided to switch topics.

“Any chance you’ve seen Faustus Blackwood slipping through the shadows during some of your more sinister recent dealings?”

“Can’t say that I have,” Dorian said. “I’d be most interested in crossing paths with him again. I hear he has an egg that manipulates time.”

“How did you hear about that?”

“People talk,” Dorian shrugged. “I’d gander a guess that at least some of the odd things happening around here have something to do with whatever that egg contained being no longer contained.” He eyed Nick. “Although I don’t think its responsible for all of them.”

Nick was certain Dorian knew more than he was willing to tell.

“What do you know?” he demanded. “Tell me.”

“I know that your beloved witch’s hair is more sunrise golden than foggy white. Quite like it was when she was more mortal than witch, before she signed away her name.” He smirked a bit. “In fact, it’s nearly the same color as mine.”

Nick’s senses heightened as he looked at Dorian sharply. He was interrupted from a further inquisition by the arrival of what was essentially the remainder of the coven.

“Ah!” Dorian lit up. “Guests!”

He left Nick to stew. Nick watched him happily concocting drinks as he downed the last of his water glass and slid it across the bar. He slipped from his stool to return to the Academy, but on the way out, another portrait caught his eye. An idea began to take shape. It was risky, but it could be worth it. He would also need Dorian out of the bar.

He was damned glad Prudence Night was back in Greendale.

* * *

Lilith brushed Sabrina’s white locks with bored strokes, her scowl deep, her patience thin. There had been few souls to drag today, less punishments to dole out, only a few deals to make. And so, Sabrina had been bored and demanded Lilith entertain her with stories of Hell from centuries gone by and lessons about all of the demons at her disposal.

It was more than she could stand and not at all how this was supposed to play out.

“Ouch!” Sabrina barked. “Careful!”

“I didn’t hurt you,” Lilith said in a tight voice.

“You did! You snagged a tangle.”

“I did no such thing.”

Sabrina met her eyes in the mirror.

“The devil doesn’t like a liar. Nor does his queen.”

Lilith seethed.

“I never thought I’d say it, but I miss when you were a mouthy little witch with a holier than thou attitude.”

“I miss the days when you were a puppet and nothing more,” Sabrina shot back. Lilith raised an eyebrow.

“And what, exactly, am I now?” she countered. Sabrina turned up her chin. She didn’t have an answer, but she would give one anyway.

“My servant,” she stated. “A terrible one at that.”

Lilith, fed up with the entire situation she had found herself in, decided to say a piece of what was on her mind.

“You realize that I will soon give birth to the Dark Lord’s son. A son, Sabrina, not a daughter. You are not as clever as you think you are if you believe Daddy dearest won’t toss you aside in favor of a male heir.”

“He won’t,” Sabrina said with satisfaction. “You, however? Well, I’ll be finding myself a new pet once my brother is born.”

That was a particular problem Lilith hadn’t quite worked out yet. She still had several months to figure out how she was going to turn her child into a bargaining chip for her life. She decided to try another angle with the teenage queen.

“You know, there is a queenly duty you will have to soon fulfill.”

“Such as?” Sabrina said in a bored tone.

“You’ll have to give the kingdom an heir.”

Sabrina’s eyes darkened.

“An heir?” she echoed.

“The Morningstar name must live on,” she said. “You can, of course, count on my son to do just that, but the crown does rightfully pass to the firstborn males, does it not? Which would mean your children – the male ones at least – will then be heirs to the throne, centuries from now.”

“I’ve got centuries to worry about that then,” Sabrina said smugly. Lilith smirked at the girl’s naivety.

“So that’s why your father freed Caliban from his stone prison and pardoned his crimes?”

Sabrina grabbed the brush from her. Again, she held her eyes in the mirror.

“What are you implying?”

“Caliban is a prince of Hell. A fine specimen by all accounts. He would make an excellent mate for the Queen of Hell.”

“I am not interested in marrying Caliban,” she stated. “He tried that once. I refused.”

“You didn’t actually refuse,” Lilith reminded her. “You were quite willing to consider his proposal. Fortunately for you – or is it unfortunately? – you got, shall we say, distracted? Caliban still has every intention of being King of Hell and your father has deemed him worthy of the position.”

“No one tells me who I will marry,” Sabrina said stubbornly. “Perhaps I don’t want to get married. Perhaps I want to rule as sole queen.”

“The Dark Lord will never allow it.” Lilith’s smirk grew as her hand rested over her growing stomach. “Not when he has a male heir in line for the throne.”

Sabrina’s eyes narrowed.

“You will not take my throne.”

“Perhaps I won’t,” Lilith said in an unconcerned tone. “But my son will.”

She saw the rage growing in the girl. There was something off about her. She couldn’t figure it out, but seemingly overnight, she had gone from a self-righteous teenager demanding her way in Hell in a cheerleading outfit to a steel cold queen, embracing the darkest parts of her role. It didn’t add up, but she couldn’t figure out why. Or how.

Sabrina stood abruptly and whirled to face Lilith. Even though she was as petite as ever, something about her made her seem larger, more dangerous. Still, Lilith didn’t cower.

“I will not give up my throne,” she hissed. “If it means marrying Caliban to save it, I will.”

“Willingly marrying a clay-made boy you don’t love to save a throne you once adamantly refused to claim,” Lilith observed. “Whatever happened to the girl shedding crocodile tears because her precious Nicholas broke her heart?”

“Queens don’t cry,” Sabrina said, chin held high. “You told me that.” She leveled Lilith with a cold stare. “And queens do whatever it takes to defend their kingdom. Even marry boys made of clay to thwart their own brother.”

She flashed her hand and her chamber door banged open.

“You may go now.”

Lilith backed out of the room, her eyes on Sabrina, careful not to turn her back on her. There was certainly something off with the witch. And she was determined to figure out what it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a peek at both mortal Sabrina and queen Sabrina and how far they are traveling down their paths. Nick, sleuthing. Prudence, confessing her real motives to Sabrina. And of course, Lilith, never missing a beat. Next chapter? Well, a lot is going to go down. 
> 
> I hope all of you are well and social distancing. I'm not loving it, but it's necessary and I've loved DM'ing on Instagram with some of you! <3 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this one - and if you have any good theories about the hows and whys of there being 2 Sabrina's...


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Day 8 of social distancing/self-quarantine - I'm especially thankful for you guys and a place to share this story. Time for a little Harvey/Nick showdown? And some insight into Nick? I think yes.

Sabrina hated geometry class.

It was the one class she had with both Nick and Harvey and where Harvey was barely passing the class, Nick was breezing through it. Of course he was. Sacred geometry was something he could draw up in his sleep. What Baxter High was teaching was a mere blip on his radar screen. He also couldn’t resist the urge to show off in the class, always the one with the right answer, the teacher’s clear favorite. She knew he did it because Harvey was there. Despite all of his claims of being on the straight and narrow, there were some parts of him that would never change.

“Very good, Nicholas!” the teacher chimed as he easily rattled off the area of a circle without ever touching a calculator. “I daresay you could teach this class.”

“No better than you can, Mrs. Prentice,” he replied with his charming smile. Sabrina gave him an annoyed look. He smirked at her, his assigned seat conveniently next to hers while Harvey’s was across the room. Mrs. Prentice was a stickler for alphabetical order – Sabrina thought she suffered from OCD – and when Nick joined the class, she had shuffled everyone from ‘Sabrina Spellman’ down one seat to put him in his correct alphabetized place. Just as Mrs. Prentice was about to move on to the next problem, Nick raised his hand again. “Mrs. Prentice?”

“Mr. Scratch?” she countered.

“There are three types of geometry taught in this particular class, right?”

“Spherical, which we’re learning now, Euclidean, and hyperbolic – all two dimensional. I’m afraid you missed our review of Euclidean geometry.” She smiled fondly. “But I daresay you would have had no trouble with it.”

“I’m sure I would have learned a lot from you,” he said smoothly. Sabrina blew out an annoyed breath. “But there are other kinds of geometry, right? The Method of Mechanical Theorems, for instance, quantum geometry.” He paused for dramatic effect. “Perhaps – sacred geometry?”

Sabrina full on glared at him. Across the room, Harvey shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“Well, yes,” Mrs. Prentice said a bit uncomfortably herself. “Those are far more advanced concepts than anything we would cover in a high school class however, Mr. Scratch.”

“I’m curious about sacred geometry though,” Nick continued, glossing right over how uneasy the teacher was. “It’s my understanding that it describes the geometrical laws which create everything in existence. It’s basically the idea of pattern recognition in religious symbols and structures involving space, form, and,” he glanced at Sabrina, “time.”

“What are you doing?” Sabrina hissed.

“Making this class more interesting,” he hissed back.

“That is a very basic definition of sacred geometry, yes,” Mrs. Prentice stammered. “Mr. Scratch, if sacred geometry is something you’re interested in, I suppose we can find a text in the library…”

Sabrina gasped, drawing the attention of her classmates.

“Ms. Spellman?” Mrs. Prentice questioned.

Sabrina looked afraid. Her hands clutched her desk tightly.

“Sabrina?” Nick questioned.

He was half out of his seat to go to her when the room began to shake. Sabrina held onto her desk, looking every more terrified. Around them, their fellow students screamed. Some scrambled for the door, others dove under their desks. Harvey tried to make his way to Sabrina, but Nick got to her first.

“Is this you?” he asked with a hint of urgency. Sabrina vehemently shook her head.

“No.” She reconsidered even as the school shook around her and debris fell from the ceiling. A bookshelf across the room crashed to the ground. “I don’t think so. I – thought it was already happening before it started.”

The shaking stopped as quickly as it started. Around them, mayhem erupted as students once more tried to quickly exit the classroom following a sudden act of nature.

“Sabrina!” Harvey tripped over an overturned desk and stumbled into Sabrina. Nick looked annoyed at the mortal’s lack of grace. “Sabrina! Are you okay?”

“She’s fine,” Nick answered for her, his annoyance clear. “Sabrina, you’re sure that wasn’t…”

“It wasn’t me,” she shook her head, her full attention on Nick. “At least, I don’t think it was…”

“Why would it be her?” Harvey asked. “What are you even doing here, Scratch? She’s not your concern anymore.”

“Sabrina, Harvey, Nicholas?” Mrs. Prentice cut through. “You need to exit the building immediately. Students are gathering on the football field, in case there are aftershocks.” She shook her head. “Earthquakes in Greendale… I don’t know that that’s ever happened…” She didn’t wait to see if they followed.

“We need to go to the Academy,” Nick ignored Harvey. “Ambrose will be there.”

“Okay,” Sabrina agreed. She started to collect her things. Harvey stopped her.

“What’s going on?” he demanded. “Is there something – witchy – happening again?”

“It’s Greendale,” Nick said with no patience. “Of course there’s something ‘witchy’ happening, mortal. Now, do what Mrs. Prentice said and get outside. Cover for us if someone calls roll.”

“No,” Harvey shook his head. “You don’t order me around, Scratch. I want to know what’s going on.”

“I’ll explain later,” Sabrina said, buying herself some time. “Nicholas is right. We need to go to the Academy and find Ambrose. I’ll call you or come over later, okay?”

Harvey frowned.

“You’re leaving?” he asked. “With him, without me?”

“It’s important,” Sabrina insisted. “Please, Harvey, go outside and wait with the rest of the school. Like Nick said, cover for us if they happen to call roll. I’ll talk to you later, promise.” She gave him a chaste kiss. Nick averted his eyes, wishing the simple gesture didn’t feel like another nick of a razor to his heart.

“I don’t…”

“Enough,” Nick broke into Harvey’s argument. He grabbed Sabrina’s hand without thought. “Lanuae magicae.”

They disappeared and reappeared at the Academy.

“You could have warned me you were about to do that,” Sabrina snapped. “Now I have to explain that to Harvey, too…”

“Forget Farm Boy,” Nick retorted, his patience thin as he pushed through the Academy doors, still holding them open for Sabrina, even in his determination to get to the library. “He’ll be fine. He should know if he’s dating you that stuff like this happens all the time.”

Sabrina’s eyes narrowed. Nick realized what he had said and how she must have taken it. She was especially sensitive lately, clearly working through something, and his innocent remark had pushed a button. He paused in the entry.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” he clarified.

“You most certainly did…”

I didn’t,” Nick insisted. “I meant that you’re a witch. If he’s going to be with you, he needs to accept that there are things – like random earthquakes and teleportation – that come along with our kind.” Nick couldn’t resist the urge to point out one more component of the differences between Harvey and Sabrina. “There will always be things about you that he won’t understand.”

With that, he continued his path to the library. She followed, both fuming and stewing over his words. Ambrose was there, furiously flipping through books. Prudence, too, was there, hovering nearby, looking uncharacteristically unsure of herself.

“Ambrose.”

“Nicholas.” Ambrose glanced up from the text he was flying through. “Was it…”

“Not her,” Nick shook his head. “Although she knew it was going to happen moments before the room started to shake.”

“Wait, ‘not her?’” Prudence questioned. “What do you mean?”

“I’m standing right here!” Sabrina said at the same time. “I can speak for myself.” She glared at Nick. “I’m a little bit tired of people making decisions for me.”

Nick and Ambrose ignored them both.

“The Academy seems calm,” Nick observed. “I thought there would be more chaos here.”

“There was a tremble, but nothing like what was felt in town,” Ambrose confirmed. “Zelda told everyone it was merely a mild earthquake and continued lessons. Honestly, I think she may believe that herself.”

“She’s too smart to believe that,” Nick shook his head. “She’s carrying on as normal as a pretense to keep the rest of the coven calm. She’ll have questions later. Any ideas?”

“Blackwood,” Ambrose said. “His terrors, whatever they are. Mambo Marie is tucked away in an empty classroom doing a ritual now to try to learn more. How are things at Baxter High?”

“Chaotic. Students everywhere, teachers confused. No one seems hurt and other than overturned furniture, there isn’t much damage, but I feel like this is a precursor of whatever is to come.”

“This is an unholy alliance if there ever was one,” Prudence said, observing the urgent way Ambrose and Nick spoke, the way they communicated. “You two together feels dangerous, all that power and knowledge working as a team. But never mind that. Someone tell me what is going on here. Now.”

“The short version?” Sabrina asked before either of them could answer. “I split myself in half. Well, someone did. Or there are two of me. I don’t know, it’s complicated. We don’t actually know how it happened. Regardless, myself and the other Sabrina created a time loop. One of me is here, one of me is ruling Hell. The one of me here is becoming more mortal while the half of me in Hell is theoretically getting more powerful by the day. These two,” she jerked her thumb at Nick and Ambrose, “tend to blame me for everything odd that happens around here, but fortunately or unfortunately, Blackwood is also loose and causing his own set of chaos. Today, I wasn’t at fault.”

Prudence looked shocked.

“Wait… There are… Two…”

Nick looked to Ambrose.

“You explain it. I have something to take care of. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He made to leave. Sabrina stepped in his path, causing him to bump into her. He took a step back to put space between them.

“Where are you going, Nicholas Scratch?”

“Back to Baxter High,” he said, telling her the truth. “I want to check on something.”

“I’m coming with you…”

“No,” he shook his head. “You’re staying here.”

“You will not tell me what to do…”

“Fine. I’m asking you to stay here.”

“And I’m saying no…”

“Stay put, Sabrina,” Ambrose broke in. “If you’re confessing your sins to Prudence, you’re going to help explain them. Then beg her to keep your secret.”

“I do recommend you stay,” Prudence said, sensing Nick had something he wanted to do without Sabrina around. She was smart enough to know Sabrina knew it, too. “You’ve got a lot to explain, Sabrina Spellman.” She raised an eyebrow. “Seems my question of Spellman or Morningstar was accurate, doesn’t it?”

Sabrina glared.

“Stay here,” Nick said again. “I’ll be back.”

He left without giving her a chance to argue and was grateful when she didn’t follow. He teleported back to the high school once outside the Academy. Baxter High itself was empty, giving him free roam of the halls. He hurried through them, stepping around and over debris. He made his way back to the geometry classroom and to where Sabrina had been sitting.

With care, he shifted around the desks and overturned chairs, searching for something, anything, that would give him a clue as to what had happened. He pushed Sabrina’s desk out of the way and then he saw it. There, burned into the seat back of her chair, was an insignia he had never seen before, but knew all the same.

“Fuck,” he breathed out as he took in the backwards ‘7’ with two dashes through its stem. He used a quick spell to cut away the piece of wood and tucked it safely in his jacket pocket. He had intentions of returning to the Academy to show Ambrose his findings, but he spied the student body being dismissed from the football field. There was one more thing he needed to do, and he needed to take advantage of Sabrina being nowhere around to do it.

Again, he hurried through the halls of Baxter High. He reached the parking lot just as Harvey opened his truck door. He used magic to slam it shut.

“Kinkle,” he said. “A word, please.”

Harvey glared as he turned to face Nick.

“I don’t have time for you, Scratch.”

“And what, exactly, are you rushing off to do?” Nick countered.

“I’m going to find my girlfriend…” He emphasized ‘my.’

“She’s busy right now and I believe she told you she would see you later,” Nick brushed off the comment. “What I’m about to tell you, I tell you only because I owe you the gesture of decency, given that you did help get me out of Hell. We may not like each other, but I am in your debt for that.”

“I did it for Sabrina,” Harvey informed him, standing his ground. “Not you. She did it for you. Not that it mattered to you in the end.”

Nick had to remind himself to take a deep breath and not fire back the way he wanted to. Harvey wasn’t wrong. At least not entirely.

“Be that as it may, I’m doing you a courtesy right now.”

“By keeping me from my girlfriend?”

“By telling you that there will come a point in time, likely very soon, in which Sabrina will need our help. She’s in trouble…”

“Trouble?” Harvey interrupted, some of his hostility evaporating at the mention of Sabrina being in some sort of danger. “What do you mean? What happened?”

“The fact that you are completely oblivious truly does blow my mind,” Nick shook his head in dismay. “Ambrose and I are looking for a way to get her out of this. When we find a way – and we will – you will either need to help us or get the Heaven out of our way.” He paused to stare down Harvey. “I think we both know I don’t have any qualms about removing you should you try to stand in our way.”

“Are you threatening me, Scratch?” Harvey challenged.

“I don’t make threats,” Nick told him. “But you need to know that there are no limits to what I will do to protect Sabrina. There never have been, but now? Absolutely nothing is off the table.”

He meant it. He would do whatever it took – anything at all – to keep her safe. Harvey would be a fool to underestimate the lengths in which he was willing to go. He was well aware that he was growing borderline reckless in his actions – the very thing he accused Sabrina of being often – but he had something to prove and a very long list of things to make up for. He would have to be fully and entirely dead before he allowed anything else to happen to Sabrina.

“You want her back,” Harvey stated. “You know you can’t have her. You’re desperate.”

“I want her back,” Nick confirmed. “Getting her back is my highest priority.”

Harvey had no idea he didn’t mean back as his girlfriend. He wanted Sabrina back in one entity. Everything else would come after that, when she was her again and perhaps willing to have the conversation they should have had months ago.

“She’s mine,” Harvey informed him. “She chose me.”

“She’s not a piece of property,” Nick reminded Harvey. “You have no idea what’s going on and it's right in front of you. Which, frankly, tells me everything I need to know about you.”

“I’m so tired of you questioning my intelligence.” Harvey took a menacing step towards Nick. Nick wasn’t intimidated. “You may have book smarts, but…”

“This isn’t about book smarts,” Nick cut in. “This is about your inability to see Sabrina as she truly is.”

“I see her…”

“Have you not noticed anything different about her?” Nick pressed. “Anything at all?”

“She’s sans you,” Harvey said pointedly. “An improvement by all accounts.”

Nick furrowed his brow.

“I know the mortal magazines and movies stereotype men as dense, but have you really not noticed her hair?”

“It’s blonde,” Harvey stated the obvious. “Darker blonde, but blonde.”

“And when did her hair get so light?” Nick continued. “What happened to her to make her hair turn platinum?”

“I don’t know!” Harvey was aggravated. “She dyed it, I guess. Girls do that, Nicholas. I don’t question her hair color. She an do whatever she wants with it.”

Nick shook his head. He saw it, even if Sabrina didn’t. Harvey didn’t see Sabrina properly. He didn’t love her, at least not truly, despite his claims. Harvey loved her mortal half, the half of her that, in this realm, was currently prevalent. He didn’t love the powerful side of her, her witch half. He thought he did. He said he did. But that part of her made him uncomfortable. It was easy for him to be with Sabrina right now, when the side he understood was her dominant feature. But it wasn’t _her_. Harvey’s feelings were for a version of Sabrina from the past, a version of her she had outgrown as she came into her witch power.

But he couldn’t think about that now.

“I don’t have time to argue with you.” He fixed Harvey with one last stare. “I’m giving you the chance to stand down or help when the time is right, out of respect for the help you offered me. You won’t tell Sabrina about this conversation.”

“I’ll tell her whatever I want…”

Nick’s spell was fast and sure. Harvey gasped and then swallowed something akin to a very large air bubble.

“What did you do to me?” he demanded as he grabbed at his throat. “What was that?”

“A curse,” Nick said casually. “You’ll be fine as long as you keep this to yourself. If Sabrina wants you to know what’s going on, she’ll tell you. Otherwise, unless I lift the curse, you’re not talking.”

“What if I do?” Harvey pushed. Nick thought there might be a little bit of fear behind his words. “What if I say something to her?”

“I guess you’ll have to talk to find out, won’t you?” Nick felt rather smug. The curse would make Harvey’s tongue swell, fast and sure, but it wouldn’t hurt him. Just shut him up. “Now, mortal, I’ve extended my one show of grace and I’ve got more important things to do than stand here talking to you.”

Nick disappeared.

Harvey cursed. He kicked his truck tire in frustration, then regretted it as his foot throbbed. How Nicholas Scratch always managed to weasel his way back into Sabrina’s orbit was beyond him. He didn’t understand why Sabrina allowed it. If it were up to him, she would have left the warlock in Hell for betraying her. After everything else Nick did once back in Greendale, Harvey just as soon Sabrina dragged Nicholas Scratch back to Hell herself. Yet his girlfriend had a connection to the warlock he didn’t like. It made him uneasy.

Regardless, he was certain of one thing.

Nick hadn’t been threatening him when he said he would remove him if needed. As much as he hated to admit it, deep down, he knew Nicholas Scratch indeed had no limits when it came to Sabrina Spellman. No matter how screwed up the relationship was between Nick and Sabrina, there was still something there that couldn’t be broken.

As he got in his truck pondering what he would do, how he would find a way to tell Sabrina what Nick had done and ask for an explanation from her as to what was going on as well as for her to remove whatever curse Nick had put on him, he found his thoughts shifting. Nicholas Scratch didn’t have limits, but he wondered if, perhaps, he himself did.

And if he did, how far was he willing to let Sabrina push them?

He didn’t know.

* * *

Prudence was seated at the table with her head in her hands when Nick returned to the Academy library. Sabrina looked cross, Ambrose exhausted.

“So you’re all up to speed then, Prudence,” he commented.

“Of all the ignorant things…” Prudence muttered.

“I’ve heard enough, Prudence,” Sabrina snapped. Nick was glad he had missed that particular conversation.

“As much as I hate to bring the mood down further, I found this burned into Sabrina’s desk chair at the school.” He took the piece of wood from his desk and tossed it to the table. Ambrose reached for it. His eyes bulged as he took it in.

“Mother of…” he shook his head. “I need a deity to swear to, because this… This…” He was speechless.

“What is it?” Sabrina snagged it. She frowned as she took in the wood. “I’ve never seen this before.” She allowed Prudence to take it from her for inspection. “What does it mean?”

“It’s the Mark of Cain,” Ambrose said in a disbelieving voice, his hands in his hair. “Blackwood and the Mark of Cain… That cannot be anything good. Not. Good.”

“What’s the Mark of Cain?” Sabrina asked.

“Cain murdered his brother Abel,” Nick explained. “It’s believed to be the first murder. The origins of the Mark and its meaning are muddy, but the most widely believed theory is that the false god marked Cain to prevent his premature death, to stop others from killing him.”

“Why?” Prudence asked. “If he was a murderer and the false god is oh so holy…”

“It was to serve as a warning to others not to do as Cain had done,” Ambrose answered.

“Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve,” Nick added. “Cain was a farmer, Abel, second born, a shepherd. They both made sacrifices to the false god and he preferred Abel’s. Cain was enraged, murdered Abel, and lied about it to the false god. The false god sentenced him to life as a wandering fugitive. Cain was afraid someone would murder him, so the false god marked him and promised anyone who murdered him would be punished sevenfold.”

“According to the Book of the False God, Cain wandered the land, married, had a son named Enoch, built a city,” Ambrose continued. “And then the false god got fed up with humans, flooded the world and killed everyone except Noah and his family.”

A heavy silence fell over the room as they ingested the information.

“So how do we kill Blackwood?” Sabrina asked eventually.

“We can’t,” Ambrose shook his head. “He has the Cain Mark. We kill him, we suffer sevenfold, remember? Which given our current situation should be a terrifying proposition.”

“There’s always a way,” Sabrina insisted. “If we know anything, it’s that there is always a loophole.”

“No,” Nick started with a shake of his head, intent on telling Sabrina exactly what he thought of her penchant for loopholes

“I’m with her,” Prudence spoke up before he could continue. “There is always a way.”

Ambrose looked between Sabrina and Prudence. Despite their differences, they wore a very similar look of determination.

“Talk about unholy alliances,” he muttered. “Forget Nicholas and I. The pair of you…”

“We don’t know anything yet,” Nick said, taking on the role as the levelheaded one in their odd sort of coalition. “Someone put the Cain Mark there. Whether Blackwood or some other entity, we don’t know yet. We need to figure that out first.” He looked at Sabrina. “And find a way to merge her. With our limited numbers, we’re going to need every witch and warlock we can get.”

Another heavy silence settled around them.

“I suppose we should get this to Mambo,” Ambrose finally said, picking up the Cain Mark once more.

“I’ll take it.” Prudence stood as her fingers closed around it. Ambrose held on for a long moment before he relinquished it. They traded a long look full of the unsaid, but she left without another word.

“I’m going to the Sanctum,” Nick said. “I’m certain there are texts there that can tell us more about the Mark of Cain. I’ve read them. I just have to find them.”

“Very well,” Ambrose nodded. “With luck, perhaps you’ll come across something about time warps that can help us.” Sabrina gave him a dirty look. He ignored her. “Come, cousin. I’ll escort you home.”

“I’m going to Harvey’s,” she rose to her feet. “I owe him an explanation as to why I disappeared from school today after the earthquake.” She looked at Nick. “With Nicholas.”

“Harvey can wait,” Ambrose said. “Your powers are weak. If there’s another attack…”

“I’ll be fine.”

Nick had to bite his tongue to keep from insisting she go home. It wasn’t his place.

“Sabrina, I really think…”

“I’ll be fine,” she snapped at Ambrose. “I’ll see you at home.”

She left too. Nick watched her go, then looked back to Ambrose.

“Want some good news?”

“Please,” Ambrose nearly begged. “Anything.”

“I threatened Kinkle today.” Ambrose frowned. Nick shrugged. “Might not be good news for you, but it made me feel pretty good.”

“What was your threat regarding?” Ambrose asked wearily. He felt like the parent sometimes, wrangling a cousin that was subject to her own whims, a warlock with a sub agenda, and now an ex-girlfriend bent on revenge. It was exhausting to keep up with it all.

“I didn’t tell him what’s going on with Sabrina. But I owed him the courtesy of letting him know the girl he’s dating needs our help and gave him the option to stand down or help us when the time comes – or else be removed from the scene. He did help save me, after all. I owed him that.”

“It’s a wonder he hasn’t told Sabrina all about it already,” Ambrose stated.

“I put a curse on him,” Nick reminded him.

“Tongue swelling?” Ambrose guessed.

“That’d be the one.”

Ambrose just shook his head, admittedly amused. Despite the gravity of their situation, there was something comforting about the animosity between Nick and Harvey. It was something normal, however petty it was, in a time where everything else felt so uncertain.

“I’ll be in the sanctum,” Nick said. “You heading back to the mortuary?”

“I suppose so,” Ambrose confirmed. “I’ll take a few books, read there, hope Mambo has answers sooner rather than later.” He paused. “Make sure my cousin comes home safely.”

Nick nodded his appreciation and turned to leave. He stopped though, recognizing he had the opportunity he had been looking for, and turned back to Ambrose.

“Ambrose?”

“Scratch?”

Nick awkwardly shoved his hands in his pockets. It was hard for him, to be open, vulnerable. He was learning it was also necessary. He pushed on, past the part of him that screamed out “retreat!” and encouraged him to tuck into himself once more.

“I never thanked you for getting me clean.”

He was solemn, his voice low, sincere.

“That was Sabrina,” Ambrose said with an earnest shake of his head. “Particularly the bit at the end.” The “bit” where she extracted the remnants of the Dark Lord from him.

“I know,” Nick admitted. “But you helped. You got me out of the dungeon and up here, saved my life.” He tried to push his hands deeper into his pockets, but they were already as far as they would go, his fingers curled into tight fists. He pushed himself forward, preparing to confess a painful truth. “I didn’t exactly want to live at that point, but I’m grateful now that I was given another chance.”

“It was Sabrina,” Ambrose said again. “I know she wasn’t exemplary in some of her actions, but she did fight for you, Nicholas. Most girls would have walked away.”

“Maybe she should have,” Nick said more to himself than Ambrose.

“Even after you told her you hated her, she stood outside the doors and told me she loved you,” Ambrose shared. “I know she meant that.”

“She did,” Nick agreed. He swallowed past a large lump in his throat. He had only faint memories from that day, but the ones he had seemed to be the worst of them. Telling Sabrina he hated her was among them. “All the same, thank you, Ambrose. For the record, I haven’t touched a drug or a drink since then.”

“Good,” Ambrose nodded once. “Keep it that way.

“I’m trying,” Nick said in a moment of raw honesty. “It’s harder than it looks.” He pursed his lips and decided he had shared enough. He didn’t think Ambrose was looking for his gratitude anyway. “Goodnight, Ambrose.”

“Goodnight, Nicholas,” Ambrose echoed. He watched the warlock leave. “Nicholas?” Nick looked back at him. Ambrose gave him a small smile. “When we get Sabrina back in one existence, I truly hope things work out for the pair of you.”

Nick couldn’t quite bring himself to smile, but Ambrose’s vote of confidence brought something to the surface in him all the same.

“Me too,” he offered.

He left then. He stopped by his bedroom on the way to the sanctum and opened his nightstand drawer, searching for the glasses he had started to wear some, recognizing the strain all of his reading was putting on his eyes. He found them easily, but the photo under them caught his attention. He had tucked it there months ago, when it was too hard to look at it. He picked it up gingerly now.

Him and Sabrina at the Baxter High Valentine’s Day Dance, her in that dress he’d hoped she would wear again, him in a tux, a little too formal for the occasion. He had wanted to impress her, had never been to a mortal dance before. The tux had made sense and he still would choose it now, knowing how cheesy the dance was at the end of it all. He had been nervous to his core at the idea of being her date, not because he was out of his element at a mortal school, but because he was out of his element with _her._ He had loved her even then, had said it shortly after as he tried to stop Amalia from hurting her. They had never addressed his “I love her!” shouted in the woods but he had spent a lot of time after that worrying that Sabrina had heard him and didn’t feel the same or else she hadn’t heard him at all and wondering which was worse. He had been able to uncover the wicked prophecy over her life, but not able to comprehend his feelings for her, to express them the way he wanted to.

He’d really never gotten the chance to tell her how he felt about her. He had said the words moments before he sacrificed himself and she had finally said them back in a rushed moment as she tried to save him from his prison, but the chance for him to hold her in his arms and tell her how he felt about her was never afforded to them. He hadn’t been able to tell her how she had changed everything, how she was the brightest light in his very dark life. There was so much he had wanted to say, but the chance to say it had been stripped away by both the Dark Lord and his own choices.

She had said everything she needed to say with just four words as he had walked away, leaving her perched on the edge of his bed with tears rolling down her perfect cheeks.

Her broken voice saying ‘I love you, Nick’ as he let go of the hand she had been trying to hold onto him with permeated his room, his senses, the memory so powerful it was like it was happening all over again. He could practically smell her perfume. He screwed his eyes shut and tried to fight back the tidal wave of emotions threatening to undo him as he waited for it to pass.

No one – absolutely no one – knew how hard it was for him to be strong, to fight against the raging battle of love, guilt, shame, and anger that tried almost around the clock to pull him under again. No one but him knew how damned easy it would be to slip up, to return to the safety of a bottle of green liquid. Only his determination to remain clean and seek redemption from the one person that mattered kept him fighting the current. Only he knew that he was treading water, that he could practically taste the salty waves as they lapped at him, trying to pull his head under. It was his burden to bear, and he would bear it in silence.

He had come back to Greendale for Sabrina, his intentions to stake his claim and do whatever it took to have her back in his arms. He had thought that meant hard conversations, grand gestures, and because she was Sabrina, persistency. He had returned prepared to fight for her and in turn, himself. He was in it for the long haul, aware that the hurt between them was vast and deep and not easily overcome.

He blew out a breath, placed the photo back in the drawer, and closed it.

He wasn’t a fool. Merging Sabrina back into one was only the first obstacle in his fight to get Sabrina back. There was the fate of Hell to contend with as it couldn’t be left without a ruler, assuming they didn’t revert back in time, like the last few months never happened. There was no running from the fact that his fight might end in defeat. Because when she was whole again, Sabrina would have to make a choice, once and for all: Spellman or Morningstar.

He wished he could be certain she would choose ‘Spellman.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Mark of Cain is big trouble... Nick tried to do the noble thing with Harvey. Proud of him. Harvey - not as dense as we all thought, but also just a bit naive. 
> 
> But Nick... He's pushing himself. He's a little desperate, a little reckless, and he's working to hold it all together. He's doing one Heaven of a job of it. So far. 
> 
> Let me know your thoughts in the comments - living for them right now! 
> 
> Oh, and some of you might remember that I applied to grad school for screenwriting... Ya girl got in - to THREE schools. Really really good ones... Thank you to this community for inspiring me and helping me realize I can do this for a living. Big big big BIG life changes coming in a few months, but for now... We social distance and try to workout in my living room. My dog? He's living his best life. You can see him on Instagram often if you follow me there. :)


	8. Chapter Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well friends, we're about to find out what Dorian's been hiding... And get some real insight into Sabrina.

“I still don’t understand why we’re doing this.”

“Dorian is hiding something,” Nick stated. “I’m going to figure out what it is.”

“I’m certain the entirety of the Academy couldn’t contain all of Dorian’s secrets,” Prudence continued. “I’m also unclear as to why it is of the utmost importance that we dig into his background right _now_. We have far worse things to contend with than the questionable dealings of a bartending warlock.”

Mambo Marie had confirmed the Mark of Cain belonged to Blackwood. There had been no success in locating him however, or of discovering what his ‘terrors’ were. The only source of comfort was that they had made it twenty-four hours without anything else out of the ordinary happening. Mambo had moved on to try to locate Agatha or the Blackwood twins, hoping if she found them, she may find Blackwood himself.

“Call it instinct,” Nick said. “I can’t explain it, Prudence, but Dorian is connected to all of this. I don’t know how or why, but he is.”

“You’re lucky I’m bored,” Prudence declared. “Now, how, exactly, do you intend to get him to talk? You know he’s not going to just spill his guts and you have no chance of getting truth serum in him. He has a very strict rule about only ingesting food and drink he prepared himself.”

“That’s where you come in,” Nick told her. “You’re going to use your mind control abilities to convince Dorian that there’s an illicit object hidden in the trees of Riverdale. Offer to watch the bar for him while he goes in search of it. Once he leaves, I’m going to find his hidden portrait and ask it a few questions.”

“Trees of Riverdale,” Prudence repeated. “Inspired by Sabrina’s transgressions, I see.” She was now fully up to speed on all that had transpired with Sabrina, Hell, and the end of the world.

“King Harrod attacked me. I get to use his crown against him.”

Prudence shrugged.

“I suppose I have nothing better to do.” She drew herself to her full height and squared her shoulders. “I’ll do my worst.”

She disappeared into Dorian’s. Nick hovered outside the entrance, hidden in the trees, waiting and watching. It took fifteen minutes – less time than he was expecting – for Dorian to emerge from the bar and hurry off in the opposite direction. Nick waited another few minutes in case he returned, then went inside.

“Good work,” he told Prudence as he sealed off the bar against visitors.

“He’s shockingly easy to manipulate once you dangle something shiny and dangerous in front of him.” She focused on Nick. “He won’t be too happy when he realizes there is nothing in Riverdale for him to find, however.”

“Who said there’s not?” Nick asked.

Prudence narrowed her eyes.

“What did you do?”

“Ambrose made a replica of Harrod’s Crown. It has absolutely no real power, but I enchanted it with a few minor spells to make it seem as though it does. The enchantments will wear off in a day or two, but it buys us some time.”

“Glad to see you haven’t lost your edge, Mr. Scratch.”

“I’m just doing what I have to do, Prudence.” She had no idea how accurate that statement was. “Now, to find this portrait…”

“How are you going to do that?” Prudence wondered. “I’m certain Dorian has hidden it to the fullest extent.”

“I’m sure he has,” Nick agreed. “But I know this place well and despite knowing absolutely nothing about Dorian, I still know Dorian. He’ll have used ancient bindings to hide it and unfortunately for him, I can unbind just about anything.”

Prudence watched as Nick went to work. He removed a thick piece of elm wood from his jacket and started to walk the perimeter of the room, chanting an incantation as he searched. She wasn’t easily impressed, but she had to begrudgingly admire the warlock’s work. Behind the bar, a glowing frame of light appeared. Nick went to it and began another intricate incantation. Slowly, a grotesque photo filled the frame.

“Dorian’s soul,” Prudence gasped, taking in the painting. It was disgustingly disturbing, all hellfire and twisted limbs and gray, decaying flesh. It was no wonder Dorian kept it hidden.

“Dorian’s soul,” Nick confirmed. “Now, to wake it up.”

He raised his elm stick once more.

“Wait!” Prudence’s urgency stopped him. “You’re messing with souls, Nicholas. You aren’t going to free it, are you? Transfer it?”

“No,” Nick shook his head. “It will remain bound to the portrait, but we will be able to speak with it as though we’re talking to Dorian.” He considered the portrait. “I suppose, in a way, he’s split in half, too.”

Prudence didn’t stop him when he resumed his magic.

“Ah!” groaned a voice. “Who dares wake me up?”

“Nicholas Scratch,” Nick said without fear. “I’ve got some questions for you, Dorian. Ones your flesh counterpart won’t answer.”

“I may choose not to answer them either,” the portrait Dorian drawled.

“I suppose we will find out, won’t we?” Nick countered. The portrait looked at Prudence.

“Prudence Night,” he observed. “You’ve been gone from Greendale for a long while.”

“I’m back,” she stated. “And as vindictive as ever.”

The portrait smirked.

“I always have liked her,” he told Nick.

“You sold your soul to the Dark Lord,” Nick said, getting right to business. “Why?”

“To be young and beautiful for all of eternity,” Dorian answered.

“There’s more than that,” Nick pushed. “What prompted you to make such a deal?”

“Life or death circumstances will cause a warlock to make irrational choices.”

“Just answer the damned question,” Nick said, already annoyed. It seemed even the portrait Dorian spoke in circles. Dorian picked up on his annoyance.

“Now is that any way to get the information you seek?”

“I’ll do worse than curse a bit,” Nick warned.

“Why are you so curious about me anyway, Mr. Scratch?” Dorian asked. “Why are you so intent on finding out about my past?”

“Your flesh half knows more than he’s letting on,” Nick told him. “Call it instinct. He won’t answer me, so I’ve gone through an awful lot of trouble to find and wake you. I need to know more about your dealings with the Dark Lord. I don’t give a damn about anything else you might be involved in. I need to know why you dealt with him – and why there is a portal straight to Hell in your bar.”

“It’s that witch of yours,” Dorian said knowingly. “It always comes back to her.”

“He’s got you there, Nicky,” Prudence said from behind him. Nick ignored her.

“You know of her Hell-bound connections,” he said. “Tell me about making the deal with Lucifer. Why did you do it?”

“It was give up my soul or die,” Dorian said. “You should know by now that I’m a vain warlock. Of course I chose to give up my soul.”

“I won’t argue that you’re vain,” Nick agreed. “What did you do to deserve that choice?”

The portrait Dorian smiled a gruesome smile.

“I was born a bastard.”

“I know a thing or two about that,” Prudence stepped forward to stand next to Nick. “Tell me, Dorian, who are your parents?”

“An angel of a woman and devil of a man,” his smirk grew. “Although I don’t know how angelic my mom was, given that she fraternized with such a man.”

“Tell us more,” Prudence said, suspicion in her voice.

“I won’t name names, but I daresay our dear Nicholas here can hazard a guess.” Dorian eyed him. “At least he can if he’s as intelligent as I believe him to be.”

Nick frowned as he tried to piece together the riddle Dorian dangled before him. He ran a hand through his hair in concentration. As he made a second pass, it hit him like a bolt of lightning.

White lightning.

His hand stilled.

“Sabrina.”

The portrait Dorian’s smirk twisted into a grotesque smile.

“It’s coming together now, is it?” the portrait taunted. Nick looked at him in disbelief.

“Oh my…” he shook his head. “Ambrose is right. We need a God to swear to. Shit.” His hand pushed through his hair again. “Unholy shit. How? How, Dorian?”

“How what?” Prudence asked. “What’s he talking about, Nicholas?”

Nick looked at her, shock in his features.

“Do you want to tell her or shall I?” Dorian asked in a bored tone.

“I came here a couple of weeks ago to look at the portrait Sabrina uses to get to Hell. Something about Dorian struck me as, not odd, exactly, but it stood out. When I was here a couple of days ago, he mentioned Sabrina’s hair as being ‘more sunrise golden than foggy white.’” Nick looked at the painting. “Just like his.”

It clicked for Prudence then.

“Lucifer is Dorian’s father.”

“Dorian is Sabrina’s half-brother,” Nick nodded. He shook his head, his mind spinning. “Unholy shit…”

It was too much for him to digest right then and there. He snapped his head to look at Dorian as a thought occurred to him.

“You’re a male.”

“Observant as always,” Dorian draweled.

“Then why not you?” he pressed. “Why didn’t the Dark Lord groom you to be his heir? Why does he want Sabrina?”

“I am particularly problematic,” Dorian said casually. “My powers – when my soul and body were combined – were enough to tumble daddy dearest.” His smile twisted again. “He made me a warlock, but I was born a Hell-bound angel.”

“You’re the product of two fallen angels,” Nick realized.

“I’m believed to be the only one of my kind.” They could tell the idea of being one-of-a-kind made Dorian smug. “A threat to the King of Hell in the truest sense. As my whole self, I could crush Lucifer.”

“How old were you when Lucifer took your soul?” Prudence asked.

“A mere sixteen. It was all part of my signing the Book of the Beast.”

“Gain your full powers, lose a soul,” Nick said.

“Accurate, Nicky,” Dorian nodded. Now that he was talking about his favorite subject – himself – he was quite happy to share.

“Who is your mother?” Nick questioned.

“Amy.”

“Amy?” Prudence repeated. She looked at Nick. “Ring any bells?”

Nick searched his catalog of knowledge on demons and fallen angels.

“Amy,” he said after a moment. “Or Amil. A President of Hell.” He made a confused face. “But the grimoires depict Amy as male.”

“And yet her name is _Amy,_ ” Dorian said in his bored sort of way.

“The Dark Lord is known for his misogyny,” Prudence said. “At least when it comes to women in power.” She shook her head. “Which adds to the mystery of why Sabrina is Queen. One would think he would want a male heir.”

“My mother was centuries ahead of her time, breaking gender barriers,” Dorian said. “And but of course the Dark Lord would prefer a male heir. Not one more powerful than him, but male all the same. My dear half-sister is merely his only option.”

“Amy initially appears as a flame before turning to human form,” Nick continued recalling bits of information about Dorian’s mother. “He – she – teaches astronomy and liberal arts, gives familiars, and reveals treasures.”

“By human form you mean the form of a mermaid,” Dorian pointed out. “Astronomy and treasures – she assists the men of the sea. Hence the mermaid appearance.”

“She assists pirates,” Prudence retorted.

“And is likely a large part of the reason you have all these portraits and questionable connections,” Nick added.

“Mommy does dote on her only son,” Dorian confirmed. “Don’t forget, she also rules over thirty-six legions of demons. Quite busy, my mum.”

Nick remembered something else about Dorian’s fallen angel of a mother.

“Amy also holds onto hope to return to the seventh Heaven after twelve centuries.”

“Seventh heaven?” Prudence questioned.

“Hell has nine rings, Heaven has seven layers, according to some mythologies,” Nick explained. “The seventh Heaven is said to be composed of divine light incomprehensible to man. It’s said that the Sidrat al-Muntaha, a lote tree, marks the furthest boundary and no man, angel or otherwise, can go past it. It’s the most extreme reach of the False God.”

“And there is great hope it will be Mommy’s home in another century or so,” Dorian said.

“I don’t know how your brain holds all of this knowledge, Nicholas,” Prudence said, trying to keep up with everything happening in front of her and around them. “You and Ambrose both.”

“A gift from the Dark Lord,” Nick said with a certain sense of resentment. He appreciated the vast amount of knowledge he was capable of retaining, but he couldn’t help but be resentful of the fact that it came from the Dark Lord after what he’d experienced. “Dorian, have you ever thought about bringing your body and soul back together, claiming what’s rightfully yours?”

“Often,” Dorian confirmed. “But Daddy dearest wouldn’t like that. And he’s the only one that can make it happen.”

Nick blew out a long breath and again raked his hand through his hair. Dorian was wrong about that, but he wasn’t going to reveal that particular bit of information – yet.

“I think we’ve heard enough,” he stated. “Thank you, Dorian.”

“You’ll return me to my hiding place,” Dorian stated.

“Of course,” Nick nodded. “We may visit you again.”

“I expect you will,” Dorian replied.

Nick performed the spell that would seal and hide Dorian’s soul once more, then sat down hard on a barstool. He folded his arms on the bar.

“I picked one Heaven of a time to stop drinking,” he told Prudence.

“What are you going to do?” she asked, deferring to him. She had to. Sabrina was involved and if she knew anything about Nick, it was that he would stop at nothing to protect the witch. “Are you going to tell Sabrina about Dorian?”

“I don’t know,” Nick shook his head slowly. “I want to. I don’t want to lie to her. Not again. She needs to know. But she’s growing more and more mortal the longer she stays split in half. If she finds out and does something irrational, she doesn’t have the powers to help herself.” He ran a hand down his face. “I’ll tell Ambrose,” he decided. “He’ll help me figure out what to do.”

“Dorian an angel,” Prudence said, leaning on the bar herself. “I cannot say I saw that coming.”

“I knew there was something about him,” Nick said. “I see it so clearly now. His features, certain looks he gives… He reminds me of Sabrina.” To him, the resemblance was uncanny now. Their eyes. The shape of their chin. Even some of their mannerisms. He couldn’t believe he – nor anyone else – hadn’t noticed before. He sat up straight as another thought hit him. “If Dorian is Lucifer’s son, he’s the rightful heir to the throne.”

“And seemingly more powerful than Lucifer,” Prudence reminded him. “Which is why Lucifer removed him as a threat.”

“Prudence, when Sabrina is merged, she will have to make a choice,” Nick said with urgency. “She will have to decide if she’s a Spellman or a Morningstar. She can’t be both. If she chooses ‘Spellman,’ that leaves Hell without a ruler – or rather, with a ruler that may do far more sinister things. Dorian could be that ruler – and we would have an ally Hell.”

“Dorian, the King of Hell?” Prudence sounded skeptical. “Nicholas, I understand you want nothing more than Sabrina to choose our realm over the underworld, but to put Dorian on a throne?”

“He’s underhanded, but he’s just,” Nick maintained. “He’s also wrong. The Dark Lord isn’t the only one that can merge him together. I’ve had a soul ripped out of me.” He wasn’t sure if he meant the Dark Lord’s or his own. “It can be done by someone other than the Lucifer.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Prudence cautioned. “For all of your harping on Sabrina for making rash decisions, you seem to be on the verge of making one yourself.”

Nick shook his head and looked at Prudence.

“Sabrina’s life is at stake, Prudence. I won’t do anything to jeopardize her. But I won’t sit idly by either. I’ll do whatever it takes to save her. Even if in the end, she still decides to be Queen of Hell.”

Prudence took him in. She had known him a long time. She saw how he was fraying around the edges, edges that were barely held together as it were. All of this, being back in Greendale, knowing Sabrina was in two halves, Blackwood, and now Dorian, was taking a toll on him. He was in a better place than he was a few months ago, but that place was precarious at best. She could only pray to an unknown god that Nicholas would be able to remain afloat.

“For all the people that say Sabrina has a hero complex, I think you may well have one too,” she observed.

“I’m no hero,” Nick shook his head. “Far from it.”

“An antihero, then,” Prudence amended. “Come, Nicholas. We should find Ambrose.”

“Perhaps Mambo has good news for us,” Nick agreed as he stood.

“I doubt it,” Prudence said. “But we can always hope.”

“Hope,” Nick repeated as they exited the bar. “That feels like a negative word for expecting a positive outcome.”

“Well aren’t you a ray of sunshine,” Prudence retorted.

“I’ll get my hopes up when Sabrina is merged, Hell is under control, she’s no longer with that damned mortal, and whatever the Heaven Blackwood is up to is taken care of,” Nick said. “Until then?” He kicked a thick stick out of their path. “It’s business as usual.

* * *

Sabrina paused at the partially open door of her aunt’s office at the Academy. She tapped lightly, then pushed it open. Zelda looked up from the file in her hand.

“Sabrina,” she greeted. “What brings you by?”

Sabrina shrugged and stepped into the office.

“I just thought I’d stop by, say hello.” She took a seat without invitation. Directrix or not, Zelda was her aunt. “I haven’t seen you very much lately.”

“Running an academy and establishing a new religion, all while trying to find out what Blackwood is up to keeps me busy,” Zelda quipped, returning to her notes. “Are you sure that’s why you’re here? A social visit?”

“Well – yes,” Sabrina said, telling the truth. “Like I said, I haven’t seen you much lately.”

“Forgive me for not quite buying your story,” Zelda said, looking over her glasses. “You don’t casually drop by to say hello.”

Sabrina frowned.

“Yes, I do…”

“Sabrina, dear, when you appear in my office, a spell has gone awry or you have some sort of hairbrained idea you want to get me on board with. Whatever it is, unless it involves stopping Blackwood, I don’t have time for it right now.”

If Zelda would have looked up, she would have seen the wounded look cross Sabrina’s features. Still, Sabrina persisted.

“I swear, Auntie, I have no spells gone wrong or bad ideas I want help with.” At least none she was willing to tell Zelda about. “I just wanted to spend some time with you.” Zelda spared her only a suspicious glance. Sabrina switched tactics. “How are things going with you and Mambo Marie? You seem happy…”

“Mambo and I are just fine.” Zelda made a mark on the paper before her. “Really, Sabrina, I’m trying to work right now. You can pry about my relationship later.”

“Fine,” Sabrina sighed, her feelings clearly hurt. She rose from the chair. “I’ll leave you to your work.” Zelda didn’t acknowledge her as she exited the room.

Sabrina was wandering towards the Academy’s entry when Nick walked through the main door. She perked up a bit, if for no other reason than it was someone – even if it were Nick – to talk to. She opened her mouth to call out to him, but he looked over his shoulder to speak to someone. Prudence was with him and they looked to be in their own world, their movements urgent.

“Nick, Prudence,” she called. They both stopped and looked at her as she emerged into the open space from the hallway. “You two look like you’re on a mission.”

“No more so than usual,” Nick was careful to appear as though everything was fine. “We were just going to find Mambo, see if she had an update.” He hated lying to her, but it was necessary, for now. “I don’t expect she has one.”

“She doesn’t,” Sabrina shook her head. “I asked Ambrose earlier. I’d avoid him, by the way. He’s in a terrible mood.” She had visited him before stopping by Zelda’s office and he had no patience for her, her questions, or her offer to help. He had all but kicked her out of the library.

“He’s got a lot on his plate,” Prudence gave her a pointed look. Sabrina returned her glare.

“He’s also got an ex-girlfriend who turned up after she broke his heart months earlier hanging around,” she retorted.

“So does Nicholas,” Prudence shot back.

“Enough, you two,” Nick broke in. “I don’t have the time nor the patience for you two to pull your claws out right now.” His hand ran through his hair again. He needed to talk to Ambrose, but he felt his grip slipping. Ambrose would have to wait. “I’m going for a run. I’ll see you both later.”

“A run?” Sabrina asked, stopping him before he could take more than a couple of steps towards the stairs. “Is that smart? With everything going on, we shouldn’t travel around alone, should we?”

“Bit of the pot calling the kettle black, isn’t it?” he asked Sabrina with a pointed raise of her eyebrow. She gave him a dirty look, but she wasn’t deterred.

“Fine. Why don’t I come with you?”

She hated to run, knew she couldn’t keep up with him, but no one could ever say she wasn’t determined to try. An odd sort of look crossed Nick’s features.

“I don’t think so,” he shook his head.

“What? Don’t think I can keep up?” Sabrina challenged.

“More like he doesn’t want you to come along,” Prudence piped up. She knew why Nick went for runs. Sabrina joining him wouldn’t help him. He might be walking on eggshells around the witch, but she most certainly was not.

“It’s not that,” Nick said quickly. “It’s just…”

Sabrina saw it all the same. It was, in fact, that he didn’t want her to join him. She wasn’t sure why she actually tried to.

“Never mind,” she shook her head. “It’s fine. Have a good a run or whatever. Try not to trip over a root. Or do. I don’t care.”

She walked away with her head held high, her shoulders squared, but tears of rejection stung at her eyes. She reminded herself that they weren’t together. She was with Harvey – who was away for a weekend basketball conditioning camp and hadn’t called her once – and Nick had lied, cheated. She didn’t want to spend time with him anyway.

“Sabrina,” he called after her.

She silenced him with a wave of her hand, determined not to look back. She didn’t want him to see her tears.

As soon as she was outside, she teleported, not willing to stick around in case Nick came after her. At the mortuary, she wiped at a stray tear and gathered herself as she climbed the porch stairs. Inside, she followed the scent of baking bread to the kitchen.

“Hi, Aunt Hilda,” she greeted.

“Sabrina, hi!” She was covered in flour and appeared flustered. “What are you doing home, deary? I thought you’d be with Harvey. It’s such a lovely fall day out…”

It was. For all the odd stuff happening, the weather, at least at the moment, was flawless. A little crisp, the leaves starting to change. It was her favorite sort of day. Once, she would have called up Roz and Theo and they would have found something fun to do outdoors. Now, Roz hated her, Theo was off with Harvey, and she was wandering around aimlessly, searching for something to do, someone to talk to..

“He’s at some basketball conditioning camp all weekend,” she said. “I was at the Academy, but everyone is busy there.” She leaned on the counter. “Anything I can help with?”

“Oh, no, dear, I’ve got it all under control.” She glanced at the clock. “In fact, I’m going to have to nip out. Cee and I are going to a flower market in Riverdale to get an idea of flowers for our wedding.”

Sabrina perked up.

“That sounds fun,” she ventured. “Any chance you would be up for allowing your favorite niece to tag along?”

Hilda gave her a fond but apologetic smile.

“Sorry, love,” she began, and Sabrina felt her heart sink. “It’s just that Cee has planned a romantic picnic for us afterward and I think that would be a bit awkward for you, don’t you?”

“I suppose,” Sabrina agreed. “What about this evening? We haven’t watched _The Munsters_ together in forever. Maybe we could do that? Have a girl’s night?”

“I’m planning to stay at Cee’s tonight.” Hilda was gentle in her delivery. “Perhaps tomorrow?”

“Sure,” Sabrina shrugged half-heartedly. “Tomorrow.”

She pushed off the counter and turned to leave the kitchen. The cuckoo clock tumbled from its spot on the wall. She closed her eyes and took a breath, remembering Nick’s theory about her emotions messing with her surroundings. She needed to calm down, lest something worst happened.

“Tsk, tsk,” Hilda clucked. “That clock simply will not stay on the wall.” She busied herself with putting it back. Sabrina hurried from the room, breathing deep, trying to control herself before something worse happened.

In the entry, she stopped and considered her options. Once again, no one had time for her. She felt like a burden, an inconvenience. She was also acutely aware that she didn’t feel the magic pulsing through her veins like she once had. She had taken the feeling for granted, but now it was a glaring hole in her being. She felt utterly and entirely alone.

With nothing else to do, she picked up her school bag and left the Spellman mortuary once more. She would go to the desecrated church, she decided. She had homework she could do. A book to read. A text she had snuck from Ambrose’s pile that might help her find a solution to the problem she created in the first place.

Her walk to the church was uneventful. She barely remembered it, her thoughts swimming as she battled her own inner conflict. The stone building was graciously empty when she arrived. She let herself in, let her footsteps echo in the cavernous room. She settled on a pew a few rows from the front and took out her text. As she opened the cover, she wondered what would happen if she just stayed there. Would anyone notice if she wasn’t in her bed that night? Would they care if she weren’t?

She thought of herself trapped in stone. It was lonely there, a prison of solitude.

It was turning out that life on the earthly side of Hell wasn’t all that different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dorian is Sabrina's half-brother. I actually thought Caliban would be when his character was introduced in canon, but alas, he's not. But I liked the idea of Sabrina having a half sibling and Dorian fit the bill. He fit the bill well... 
> 
> And we can see some of what Sabrina is struggling with. She feels like a burden in some ways, overlooked in others. As far as her aunts know, things have gone back to normal, minus the Blackwood situation. Ambrose is wrapped up in trying to help her, stop Blackwood. And, well, we know he situation with Nick is - a lot. 
> 
> So yeah, a lot going on here. Excited to share an eventful school lunch next update... 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this update!


	9. Chapter Nine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Dorian, huh? But enough about him. How about - lunch?

Sabrina idly pushed the soupy fruit around on her lunch tray. Once again, she found herself alone and hyper aware of it. Roz was across the courtyard, holding court with the rest of the cheerleading squad. She herself had quit cheer, not really because she wanted to but because she found she wasn’t welcomed. They had obviously taken Roz’s side and honestly, she couldn’t blame them. She did steal her best friend’s boyfriend after all. Theo was in class and Harvey had been summoned by Mrs. Prentice to discuss his geometry grade and how to save it, lest he be kicked off the basketball team. She stabbed her fork into the fruit cocktail, annoyed with her current situation.

“Mind if I sit down?”

Nick stood before her, holding his own lunch tray between his hands. She had to remind herself she was with Harvey as she took him in in his t-shirt and jeans, his leather jacket tossed over the ensemble as though it were an afterthought. A single curl fell across his forehead and the sun shone on him just so, illuminating his features. It wasn’t fair, really, how attractive he was. It didn’t help that dining halls and trayed lunches had once been their thing.

“You’re going to anyway, so sure,” she shrugged. Nick settled on the bench across from her. She dutifully ignored him and popped one of the syrupy green grapes into her mouth. It was slimy. She fought the urge to spit it out and forced herself to swallow it. She felt Nick’s eyes on her, quietly questioning her as she went for a piece of equally disgusting pineapple. She continued to ignore him.

“You okay?” he asked after several long beats of silence.

“I’m fine.”

She kept her eyes downcast, plucked a cherry from her fruit cocktail. He continued watching her as he broke apart a roll. She wasn’t fine. She wasn’t now and she hadn’t been two days earlier, when she had offered to go on a run with him. He couldn’t let her be.

“You can talk to me, you know,” he offered in a guarded sort of way. She finally met his eyes.

“Like you talk to me?” she challenged. She went back to avoiding his eye contact.

Nick sighed. She had a fair point. He put down his roll and focused on her. He had to give her something if he was going to get anything in return.

“When the urge to drink or do something harder than alcohol is especially overwhelming, I go for a run,” he shared in a low voice. Sabrina felt the air leave her lungs at the revelation even as her eyes, wide and surprised, met his once more. “It helps clear my head, so I don’t go for the bottle, pill or liquid.”

“Oh,” she said softly. “Nick…”

She didn’t have words. She understood now why he had wanted to go on that run alone. For whatever reason, Nick had wanted to drink. She squirmed a bit, feeling guilty. She was certain she was the reason he had felt the urge to turn to the bottle.

“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you,” he continued, deciding to be completely honest with her. “There are countless things I want to talk to you about. But you’re only half of you, Sabrina, and what I need to say…” He trailed off and took a moment to collect himself. He still struggled with vulnerability, thought he always would. He was trying though, and that had to count for something. “What I need to say, I need to say to _you._ Not half of you.”

“You don’t like me this way,” Sabrina recognized. Hurt filled her eyes. She blinked it away quickly, but Nick noticed all the same. He bit the inside of his mouth to keep from telling her everything he liked – loved – about her, both mortal and witch. “I’m only half of me.”

Nick shook his head.

“No, it’s not like that…” He trailed off again, gathering his thoughts. He had to be careful how he phrased things, lest he go too far or say too much, risk saying things he wasn’t ready to share with her yet. “I know – you. And the you I know? She’s not half this, half that. She’s just – you. That’s the person I hurt. She’s the person I want to have a conversation with.”

Sabrina understood. Her being was split into half. There weren’t two exact replicas of her running around like she initially believed. There was the version of her in Greendale, the one that was becoming more and more like her mortal half, then the Hell version of her that was embracing power and darkness. Neither of them was really _her._ She nodded slowly.

“Okay,” she agreed. “Thank you for telling me about running.”

“If anyone deserves to know the truth about it, it’s you.” He picked up his fork and speared the scoop of green beans on his tray but didn’t bring them to his mouth. He was walking a tightrope, desperate to keep some distance between them, desperate to pull her in and not let her go ever again. He couldn’t misstep when seemingly everything was so precariously balanced. “Running keeps me level.”

“Prudence knows,” Sabrina reminded him after a beat.

“Prudence guessed,” Nick corrected. “I’ve known her for a long time, Sabrina. She’s… I wouldn’t call her a friend, really. That’s not Prudence’s style. But for a time, she and I were all the other one had.”

More guilt settled on Sabrina’s shoulders, but something else wrapped around her heart and hugged it tight, tighter than she would like it to.

“I didn’t realize you and Prudence were…”

“No,” Nick shook his head. “Nothing like that. I swear it. We mostly just – sat around in companionable silence, each lost in our own thoughts, until we went our separate ways.”

“Oh,” Sabrina said softly, again averting her eyes. It was dangerous, talking to Nick. Even as just half of herself, he still seemed to know her too well. And she still seemed to know him.

“Enough about me,” Nick said, eager to move the focus back to her. “Your turn. I’m going to ask again. Are you okay?”

Sabrina sighed and gave up on her lunch. She couldn’t bring herself to be entirely honest. It felt too like it would push things too far, to open up about the loneliness she felt to Nick. But she thought she could confide another fear in him.

“I’m worried about what will happen when I’m merged,” she confessed. “What if we go back in time? What if it's like these last few months never happened?” She didn’t wait for him to answer. “Honestly though? I wouldn’t hate having a do over.” There was an awful lot about the last few months she would have done differently, if given the chance.

“I don’t want to relive them,” Nick replied. “I suppose if we went back in time, we’d forget all about these last few months, but I’m holding out that we merge you and stay right where we are in the timeline of our lives.”

“You don’t want a do-over?” Sabrina questioned. She thought if anyone would want another chance at the last handful of months, Nick would. He shook his head and picked at the food on his plate without eating.

“I’ve come a long way these last few months,” he hedged. “I don’t want that to be for naught.”

Sabrina had the good sense not to ask what he meant. He wasn’t going to tell her anyway. Not right now.

“I suppose we have to figure out how to merge me back together first,” she said, deciding not to share anything further. “Then figure out the rest of it.”

“We’ll figure out the rest of it,” Nick repeated with a nod meant as a promise. He saw Harvey step out into the courtyard. The mortal hadn’t seen him yet and he decided to do the noble thing for a change. “I’m going to go – read a book or something,” he said as he stood. “I’ll see you in biology.”

Sabrina frowned.

“You don’t have to leave…” She found she didn’t hate his company despite her initial hesitations.

“Harvey just walked outside and he’s looking for you,” Nick said as he gathered his things. “I’m going to save you the argument.”

Sabrina tried to ignore the melancholy feeling that settled over her. Her ex-boyfriend, departing so her current boyfriend, the same boy Nick had spent their relationship viewing as a threat, even when Harvey was most certainly was not a threat, could take his seat and be none the wiser that he had ever been there didn’t feel right even if by all standards, it probably was.

Nick started to walk away. She watched his figure retreat for a few moments.

“Nick?” He turned and raised an eyebrow. She chanced a guarded smile. “If running doesn’t work…” she gave a timid little shrug, “you can talk to me.”

He looked at her for a long beat before giving her a single nod.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

She watched him walk away. When Harvey fell into the seat Nick had abandoned, she couldn’t label how she felt. He was _Harvey_ and yet… She gave up trying to name the churn of emotions within her.

“You’ll never believe what Mrs. Prentice suggested to get my grade up,” Harvey said as he aggressively opened a bag of potato chips. Sabrina watched the act with interest. That was another difference between Harvey and Nick, she thought as he watched him drive his hand into the bag. Nick’s palette was more refined. If she looked around at what her fellow classmates were eating, she would see similar lunches to what Harvey had in front of him – bags of chips, giant cookies, slices of pizza or deep fried chicken nuggets. Nick had opted for the few healthier options – the vegetables, the grilled chicken. If she looked down at her own tray, she would see the same selection. She didn’t know why such a trivial comparison had popped to mind. She pushed it away. It didn’t matter. It was just food. “She told me to ask Nick freaking Scratch to tutor me.”

“He is really good at geometry,” Sabrina said diplomatically.

“He’s _Nick,_ ” Harvey shook his head. “I’m absolutely not asking him for help. I told Mrs. Prentice I’d find someone else.”

“How bad is your grade?” Sabrina asked carefully.

“Bad enough that I need to get a high ‘B’ on the test next week in order to keep the ‘C’ average needed to play basketball.” Harvey stuffed a handful of chips into his mouth and wiped the grease on his pants. “I don’t know if playing basketball is worth the hassle.”

“But you love playing basketball,” Sabrina reminded him. “You would miss it.” She bit her lip for a moment. “It’s one of the only chances you get to hang out with Theo these days.”

Theo was doing his best to remain neutral, to be their friend and Roz’s. But Sabrina could see it even if Harvey didn’t – he had sided with Roz and their friendship was fragile at best. He was certainly more friendly with Harvey than he was with her at any rate. She couldn’t help but think back to her and Roz’s argument at Dr. Cerberus. Even then, Theo, despite his best efforts, had agreed that she had caused her friends too much trouble.

“I’d miss it, but if it means not working with Nicholas Scratch, I’ll take it on the chin,” Harvey continued, oblivious to his girlfriend’s shifting mood.

“Why is geometry so hard for you?” Sabrina asked curiously. “It’s just – shapes. You’re such a good artist. Think of it like that – drawing shapes in exact measures.”

It was a stretch, but she was trying to help Harvey, not discourage him.

“It’s nothing like drawing,” Harvey shook his head. “There are all those numbers and letters and things that make no sense.” He went to work unwrapping one of the giant cookies the cafeteria sold. “It’s pointless. I’ll never need geometry.”

“Geometry isn’t pointless,” Sabrina heard herself saying. “It’s how we…” She caught herself. Harvey raised an eyebrow.

“It’s how we what?” he prompted.

Sabrina shrugged. She was a witch – theoretically, at least, given the current status of her powers – and geometry was a part of her life.

“It’s how we – witches – practice bindings, summoning, produce sigils, things like that. I’ve been learning sacred geometry since before I could read.” She had clear memories of Zelda and Hilda teaching her intricate markings and their meanings as a small child. Hilda, always so patient as her small hands carefully drew out symbols as she learned the importance of getting them correct so as not to cause her spell to go awry. Zelda, always so proud when she got them just right, showing it with a tight smile so as not to give away her soft side when it came to her niece.

“So that’s why Scratch is so good at geometry,” Harvey said bitterly. “Because he’s a warlock who uses triangles and circles to do his bidding.”

Sabrina bristled.

“ _I_ use triangles and circles and a host of other shapes to do _my_ bidding,” she informed him. “Yes, the fact Nick is well-versed in sacred geometry helps him in mortal geometry, but you know what? It helps me, too. I’m doing pretty well in that class myself.”

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Harvey said hurriedly, sensing he had crossed some sort of line he didn’t know existed. “I just… You know I don’t like Scratch. Even if he wasn’t your ex, I wouldn’t like him. He’s arrogant, pompous, and knows everyone thinks he’s oh so smart and oh so handsome.” He eyed Sabrina. “What they don’t know is that he’s a raging alcoholic, a drug addict, a liar, and a cheat.”

Sudden and intense rage flew into Sabrina.

“Nick had the Dark Lord inside of him,” she said through clenched teeth. “He went to Hell and _through_ Hell. None of us can comprehend what he went through. _I_ don’t know what he went through. He was tortured, endlessly, all so our world could continue to exist.” Tears filled her eyes. “All so I didn’t have to claim a title I didn’t want.”

A title she had claimed anyway.

“Sabrina, I’m sorry,” Harvey held up his hands in a peace gesture. “You know I struggle with Nick being around and then Mrs. Prentice tells me to have him tutor me. Now you’re defending him…” He stopped and looked at her. “You’d tell me if something was going on, right? Like, with you or your coven or even with – him?”

His question caught her off guard. Something about the way he asked it made her suspicious that he knew something, or at least sensed something. She wanted him as far away from her mess as possible. His knowing would simply be one more person involved and that felt like one too many.

“What?” she stuttered. “Of course… Harvey, nothing is going on with Nick and I. We’re not even friends.”

“You sure about that?” Harvey countered with a raised eyebrow. “You can’t exactly avoid him, given that he’s a member of your coven and he clearly came back from wherever he went to get you back.”

“Nick and I are…” She nearly did say “friends.” She almost labeled them as such, even after she had just said they weren’t friends. But Nick _wasn’t_ her friend. She didn’t know what they were, exactly, but they weren’t friends. They could never be friends. She switched tactics. “You and I were friends while I was dating Nick,” she reminded Harvey. “He didn’t like it, but he never tried to stop me.”

She realized it was true. Nick had hated that she was friends with Harvey but never, not once, did he try to intervene, to stop her. His jealousy had reared its head more than once, but only from a place of insecurity. She thought may Nick’s issues were even more complex than the trauma of having the Dark Lord trapped inside of him, as though that weren’t enough to grapple with. She couldn’t think about that now, however. She was too busy fighting with Harvey.

“So, you’re saying you are friends with him?” Harvey clarified.

“No, I’m saying…” She shook her head. She didn’t know what she was saying. “Nothing is going on, Harvey. With Nick, me, or the coven.”

“I don’t believe you.”

Sabrina raised an eyebrow.

“You don’t believe me?”

She was, of course, lying to him. But telling him the truth was too dangerous.

“You flew off the handle about Nicholas Scratch,” Harvey pointed out. “I didn’t say anything about him that wasn’t the truth. He lied to you for months, Sabrina. You went through Hell – actual Hell – to get him back. Instead of being grateful to you, he lied to you, cheated on you, said horrible things to you, then broke up with you after you got him clean. You can’t possibly be defending him.”

“It’s complicated, Harvey,” Sabrina replied. “How did we go from your geometry grade to recounting all of Nick’s sins?”

“You’re the one that brought up how Nick is such a good student,” Harvey said, his annoyance palpable. “I’m just reminding my girlfriend of what a low life he is.”

Sabrina felt her fingertips start to shake. She made fists, trying to hold in her anger.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Harvey,” she spat. “There is so much you don’t know. So much you don’t understand…”

“I know I went to Hell to get him back,” Harvey fired back. “I didn’t do that for him, Sabrina. I did that for you. Honestly? I think you should have left him there.”

Her anger boiled over. She opened her mouth to fire back angry words, but the bell rang out.

It didn’t stop ringing.

Around her, students were gasping, their eyes on their wrist watches or else the big stone clock over the door that kept time for those who took their lunch outside. Its hands spun wildly, causing mass confusion.

“What…” Harvey gasped, eyes on his own spinning watch.

“Oh no,” Sabrina breathed, her eyes wide with fear. She searched the chaotic crowd for Nick. She found him easily. He was rushing towards her, pushing through the confused crowd with determination.

“Sabrina!” He was at her side. “Are you okay?”

“Nick!” She looked at him, eyes full of panic. “Nick, I didn’t mean…”

Nick took a moment to assess the situation. Disorder grew rapidly as the clocks continued to spin, the bell to ring. Harvey looked horrified, Sabrina scared. He took action.

“Come on.” He took her hand and a moment later, they were in the clearing where she was born. He turned to her and breached his own no contact rule to take her by the shoulders. “Are you okay?” he asked again. Sabrina gasped for breath. “Sabrina.” Nick was urgent. “Are you okay?”

She gave a shaky nod.

“I’m okay,” she breathed. “I didn’t mean to lose my temper, Nick. I’ve been trying so hard to keep my emotions in check so this doesn’t happen. But I lost control… I lost control!”

She was full on panicking.

“Okay,” his voice was calm. He tightened his grip on her arms. “It’s okay, Sabrina. You’re okay. Take a deep breath, in through your nose, out through your mouth.” He watched as she drew her lungs full of air and pushed it out. “Again.” She followed directions. “One more time.” He could practically see her body relaxing with each breath. “Better?”

She nodded.

“Thank you,” she said softly. Nick ignored her thanks.

“What were you and Harvey arguing about?” he questioned.

“Just – geometry.” Another lie, or at least half truth. For all of her indignation at Nick for lying to her, her own lie count, to him and others, was piling up. She took another breath. Nick thought fast. He was certain the situation at Baxter High was out of control. He had to do something.

“I need you to stay here,” he directed. “Don’t move from this clearing.”

“Where are you going?” Sabrina questioned.

“Back to the school to take care of things. Stay here, Sabrina. Don’t leave this clearing. I mean it.”

“I’ll come with you,” she grabbed for his hand, knowing he was going to teleport. “It’s my mess. I should clean it up.”

Even in the seriousness of the moment, he couldn’t ignore the way it felt to have her grab his hand. It was for teleportation, but it reminded him of better times, when it was his hand she reached for, his hand she wanted to hold. He shook his head and gently pulled his hand from hers. He saw the hurt fill her eyes, remembered how he let go of her hand as he walked away from her in his bedroom after breaking up with her. She had absolutely no idea that he had left his very heart with her that night, that she still held it in the palm of her dainty hand.

He forced those thoughts away.

“No offense, Sabrina, but you can’t help.” He was gentle in his delivery, but her eyes still sparkled with tears she wouldn’t let fall.

“My powers aren’t strong enough,” she understood.

“Stay here,” he requested again with a single confirming nod. “I’ll be back soon.”

He disappeared again.

In his absence, she wrapped her arms around herself and hugged tightly. She felt like she was falling apart in the most literal sense. Her emotions felt so complex, so vast and wild and all over the place. She couldn’t figure out what she felt, why she felt it. She couldn’t focus on one feeling long enough to unwrap it, figure out why she felt that way, before something else forced its way to the forefront.

She was confused.

Lonely.

Unhinged.

Scared.

No, not scared.

Terrified.

A month ago, even as the scale tilted to a more precarious position, she felt confident in her choice to remain as two halves. Now, she wished she had never stayed in two, that she had merged in that tomb like she was supposed to and chosen one life or the other once and for all.

In the moment, she was utterly certain she would have walked away from Hell. Handed over her crown to Lilith or Caliban or whoever the Heaven else wanted it and lived her life in the earthly realm. She may have gotten back together with Harvey. She might have stayed single.

She might have chased Nicholas Scratch to whatever corner of the world he disappeared to and demanded he tell her what was going on with him so she could help him.

Instead, she had made everything worse. So much worse.

Again, she found herself wondering what would happen if she just – disappeared. She would certainly make everyone’s lives easier. Ambrose and Nick wouldn’t have to spend all their time trying to fix her mess. Her aunts wouldn’t have to fret with a teenager. She wouldn’t fight with Harvey about ex-boyfriends. Theo could maybe stop feeling torn between his friends, or at least feel less torn than he currently was. Roz wouldn’t have to look at her and remember what she’d done.

Disappearing felt more and more like the right thing to do.

But if she disappeared without merging her two forms, what would happen to her family and friends? To Greendale? If she didn’t close the time loop, she couldn’t guarantee their safety.

She half hoped she would be stuck in that damned stone tomb when she merged into one being. It was what she deserved.

It felt like a lifetime but was no more than a half hour before Nick reappeared. He looked surprised to find her there, perched on a log, waiting if not patiently, waiting all the same.

“You didn't expect me to still be here,” she greeted.

“You do tend to do whatever the Heaven you want,” Nick countered, taking her in. He was growing more and more concerned about her. She was struggling with something she wouldn’t talk about and it was weighing on her. He saw her unraveling a little more each day. He felt, too, the growing urgency to help her out of this mess before she cracked under the pressure she was shouldering. “Sabrina, tell me the truth. Are you okay?”

Again, she wanted to tell him everything. But he was already bearing so much of her burden and she had already asked too much of him. Far, far too much. Again, the guilt overwhelmed her. She had to fight to not let it overtake her. She wouldn’t add her emotional struggles to Nick’s plate too. He didn’t deserve that.

“I just want this to be over with,” she offered. “What did you do?”

“Altered their memories,” he said. “No one at Baxter High recalls the moment the clocks went wild. They’re all back in classes and the day is going on as normal.”

Sabrina looked at him with something akin to wonder.

“That was complex magic, Nick, altering memories for that many people all at once.”

“Too much odd stuff has happened for us to allow them to remember,” he pointed out. “At least earthquakes and tornadoes can be explained away as acts of nature by the mortals. Spinning clocks? Not so much.”

“You wiped their memories? Entirely?”

“As far as they know, they had lunch as usual then headed back to class. Not a weird clock or ringing bell in sight.”

Sabrina blew out a sigh of not quite relief but something akin to it.

“Thank you, Nick,” she met his eyes. “You didn’t need to do that.” Nick held her eyes with his own.

“Yes,” he nodded. “I did.”

He didn’t offer up more. She noted he did that a lot, said something short and to the point that felt like it had a load more meaning behind it.

“What do we do now?” she asked. She didn’t want to make decisions. She wanted someone to tell her what to do, how to do it, when to do it. It felt safer that way.

“Well,” Nick shrugged, “we can go back to school and pretend like nothing happened.” Sabrina made a face and shook her head. “There’s the Academy. You can go to class, I can study…”

“No,” Sabrina shook her head again, thinking. “I can’t go home. My aunts will want to know why I’m not at school, mortal or magic.” An idea occurred to her. She looked at Nick and decided to take a chance. “Would you see a movie with me?”

Surprise colored Nick’s features.

“A movie?” he repeated.

“I’m sure there’s a matinee or something at the theater,” she continued before he could tell her no. “I think we could both stand a couple of hours of sitting in a dark room, not thinking, not reading ancient texts.” Nick hesitated. Sabrina pressed on. “It’s just a movie, Nick. We’ll keep a seat between us if that makes you feel better.”

Nick weighed his options. He wanted to say yes. He didn’t want to put a seat between them. He wanted to put his arm around her like he used to when she would make him go to the movies with her, movies he didn’t want to see but that he sat through anyway because Sabrina loved them and he wanted to make her happy. He reasoned he should say no. The list of reasons as to why was long. And yet…

“Fine,” he agreed. “Let’s go see a movie.”

Sabrina looked relieved.

“Thank you,” she said once more. “For – everything – today.”

“I did what I had to do.” Again, she sensed there was a lot more that he wasn’t saying. A long moment of silence passed between them. “Let’s go see what’s playing, Spel – Sabrina.”

Sabrina only nodded and turned to lead the way, Nick trailing a couple of paces behind her. He had very nearly called her Spellman, the name only he called her, that felt so special, so intimate, when it fell from his lips. It both comforted her to hear it fall from his lips again and reminded her that she had never truly been a Spellman. Her whole life was one big lie, one big betrayal. She had no idea who she was anymore, and it had shaken her to her very core. A tear leaked from her eye. She was quick to wipe it away before Nick saw.

Behind her, Nick bit his lip as he watched her fingers flick away the tear she didn’t want him to see. He wanted to know why that tear was there, what made it fall. What he could do to take it away.

Instead, he walked in silence.

His silence was self-preservation.

For both of them.

* * *

Nick felt exhaustion in his very bones as he let himself back into the Academy. He had every intention of going straight for his quarters, drawing a hot bath, sitting in it for as long as possible, and letting the hot water work the knots out of his muscles before he buried himself under his blankets and tried to sleep for a few hours. He veered towards the library first, figuring he may as well check in with Ambrose and fill him in on the events of the day before he locked himself in his room for the night.

“Where have you been?” Prudence greeted.

“At the movies,” Nick took the last available chair around their usual table. “With Sabrina.”

“Oh?” Prudence raised an eyebrow.

“Our world is hanging on by a crumbling precipice and the pair of you go to the movies,” Ambrose mused. “That feels about right.”

“She lost her temper at school today,” Nick shared, undeterred by Prudence’s prying or Ambrose’s usual grumblings. “She was arguing with Harvey. All the clocks started spinning, the bell wouldn’t stop ringing. I got her out of there, calmed her down, then went back to clean up the damage. She didn’t want to go back to school or risk running into your aunts when she was supposed to be in school. She asked me to go with her to a movie. I didn’t think she should be alone, so we ended up seeing an Audrey Hepburn double feature.”

 _Roman Holiday_ and, ironically, _Sabrina._ He hadn’t especially enjoyed either movie. Both had storylines that hit a little too close to home for him between the deception of the reporter in _Roman Holiday_ and the love triangle in _Sabrina_. Sabrina had seemed to enjoy them though, and that was really what mattered. She had been calm, if not suspiciously quiet, when he dropped her off at the mortuary gate.

“What do you mean, ‘clean up the damage?’” Ambrose asked.

“I did a memory spell and as far as anyone at Baxter High knows, nothing unusual happened today.”

“Clever,” Ambrose nodded his approval. “Also quite a feat of magic.”

“It was nothing,” Nick shook his head. It really hadn’t been difficult. Not for him. It was standard magic and it admittedly felt good to use his substantial power for more than a few run of the mill spells. He ran a hand down his damp, sticky face. “I made sure she got home, then went for a run.” Prudence shot him a concerned look. He ignored her. “I asked her to stay put. Whether she does or not is anyone’s guess.”

“Any ideas as to what she was arguing with Harvey about?” Ambrose questioned.

“She said ‘geometry’ but I have a feeling there was more to it.”

“Would that ‘more’ happen to be you?” Prudence guessed.

“I don’t know,” Nick said honestly. “Maybe. I saw Mrs. Prentice, the geometry teacher, while I was hovering around to make sure the spell took. She told me she suggested Harvey ask me to tutor him in the class.”

Prudence snorted in amusement. Ambrose chuckled a bit.

“Bet Harvey loved that,” he mused, settling back in his chair. “Sabrina still doesn’t know about Dorian?”

“No,” Nick shook his head again. “We need to tell her, but it feels too risky right now.”

“It is too risky,” Ambrose agreed. “Dorian doesn’t know we know for one thing. Tell Sabrina and she’ll march down there and invite him to dinner or else demand he allow her to put his soul and body back together right then and there, even though she wouldn’t be able to tell him why he should, while she herself remains in two. She’d just think it was the right thing to do.”

“You two talk about Sabrina like she’s a petulant child,” Prudence chimed in. Her eyes zeroed in on Ambrose. “Especially you.”

“She’s no child,” Nick agreed. “But she is passionate and reckless, sometimes to a fault. That scares me.”

It was one of the more honest things he had said lately. He was on constant pins and needles, waiting for word that Sabrina had plowed ahead with whatever idea she had next without consulting anyone and things had, as they tended to do, gone wrong.

“I treat her like a child,” Ambrose stated, owning the accusation. “I’ve had to clean up one too many of her messes for me to be able to consider her as anything else.”

“You two are running wild, making decisions and withholding information from her,” Prudence continued. Perhaps it was the loss of Dorcas and the absence of Agatha, but she found herself feeling an odd sort of protectiveness over the petite witch. She didn’t especially like it. Sabrina Spellman had been a pain in her ass more often than not and she didn’t want to feel anything remotely akin to caring for the girl. But as the outsider in this mess, she saw things the other two didn’t. “She’s a formidable witch, even with waning power. Perhaps she has been a bit reckless in the past, but she deserves to be a part of the decisions you two are making about her future.”

“She’s only half of herself,” Ambrose reminded Prudence. “She can’t be trusted to make decisions. She’s literally not herself.”

Nick was torn. On one hand, he agreed with Prudence. Sabrina’s fierceness and independent streak was what had attracted him to her in the first place. But there was something in him, be it his fear of losing her entirely or the vastness of his feelings for her, that was driven to protect her this time, even more so than in the past. It could have been the weakened state of her powers or the sadness that followed her, no matter how much she worked to hide it, but this time felt different. It felt like she truly did need him this time.

“Sabrina hasn’t always made the best decisions,” he eventually said. “But the overwhelming majority of her choices have been to protect the people she loves. Maybe this time, she has to sit back and let someone else take on the role.”

Prudence and Ambrose understood the underlying meaning of Nick’s brief speech. He wanted to be the one that saved Sabrina this time.

“Well,” Ambrose said, breaking the few moments of awkward silence that settled over them, “we at least got some sort of breakthrough from Mambo earlier.”

“Really?” Nick sat forward, interested.

“She briefly connected to and channeled Agatha,” Prudence told him. “Very briefly. It seems Blackwood quickly realized her presence and cut her off. But she was able to find out he’s released the ‘Eldritch Terrors’ to wreak havoc on Greendale. We didn’t get much else, let alone their location, but it’s something.”

“Eldritch Terrors,” Nick repeated. “‘Eldritch’ means weird, sinister, or ghostly. We’re dealing with entities of another realm. One that doesn’t appear to be Heaven nor Hell.”

“These terrors do appear to be of another dimension,” Ambrose confirmed.

“I’ve read about some of these other dimensions,” Nick said. “I’ll compile what I know tomorrow, compare my notes with Mambo’s, see if anything makes sense.”

“We need to get Sabrina back to one being,” Ambrose mused. “Whatever these terrors are, we need her at her full power to help defeat them.”

“We’ll get her back,” Nick nodded once. “Soon.”

 _He_ might not get her back in the end, but he would do everything in his power to make sure Sabrina was merged into one being sooner rather than later. Even in light of this new information about Blackwood, merging Sabrina was still his top priority.

“I suppose I should go find Zelda,” Ambrose said after a beat. “She asked for my help with one of her lesson plans and an update on our progress with Blackwood. I’ve been putting it off all day, but it’s time. She and Hilda are still in the dark about Sabrina, both too wrapped up in their own lives to truly notice what’s in front of them, but if I keep squirreling away, Zelda is going to get suspicious.”

“I’m going to retire to my room,” Prudence said, pushing out of her chair to stand. “It’s been a long day.”

“And I need to get cleaned up,” Nick finished, standing as well. The trio left the library together. In the Academy entry, Ambrose broke off with a muttered goodnight, leaving Nick and Prudence to climb the stairs to their respective quarters. Nick glanced at Prudence as they walked. “You okay, Pru?”

“As okay as I can be, given that Ambrose will only talk to me about terrors and time loops and my one remaining sister is still insane and either held hostage or willingly a part of Blackwood’s latest scheme.”

There was a bitterness about Prudence that Nick didn’t like but identified with all the same.

“We had to go and fall in love with Spellmans,” he sighed, understanding all too well what Prudence felt.

“Love is a strong word,” Prudence stated. “I wouldn’t call my feelings for Ambrose love.”

“It’s okay to love someone, Prudence,” Nick said carefully. “Sabrina taught me that.”

“And look where love got you,” she quipped, still resistant to the idea of loving anyone aside from herself and her sisters. As far as she could see, loving people only led to trouble. Evidence of that was standing in front of her in the form of a weary warlock.

“Loving Sabrina is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” Nick admitted. “For a myriad of reasons, each one more complicated than the last. But I don’t regret it.”

“Despite everything she’s put you through?” Prudence questioned.

“I did more than my fair share of damage,” Nick reminded Prudence.

“True.” They stopped on the landing where they would part ways, Prudence to the female wing, Nick to the male. She looked at him with concern. “Nicky, you realize there’s a very real chance she’ll choose to rule Hell, don’t you? And even if she does decide to be earth side, the pair of you could very well be completely and truly over.”

Nick fought the emotions brewing in his chest. It was these very thoughts that kept him up at night. He was honest when he spoke.

“I’m well aware that the odds aren’t in my favor. But I love her, Prudence. She wasn’t perfect, but at the end of the day, I’m the one that set fire to our relationship. I may never have her in my arms again, but I have to try. I have to fight for her.” He pursed his lips for a moment. His chest felt heavy, as though his heart had turned to stone and was determined to weigh the rest of him down. “She’s spent an awful lot of time fighting for everyone else, me included. She deserves someone willing to fight for her.”

“I worry about you, Nicky,” Prudence confessed.

“I’m hanging on,” Nick assured her. “I’m clean and I have a reason to stay that way.” He peered at her. “I worry about you, too, Prudence.”

“I’m hanging on,” she echoed with a ghost of a sad smile. “Until Blackwood is dead and I know Agatha’s fate, I, too, have a reason to keep going.”

“Goodnight, Prudence,” Nick said with a single nod of his head.

“Goodnight, Nicky.”

The pair parted ways, dragging their own emotional chains with them.

In his room, Nick ran his bath water as hot as he could stand it. He added a bit of lavender, finding the flower calmed him, helped him relax. He was well aware of the fact that it reminded him of Sabrina’s shampoo, but opted not to make the obvious conclusion as to why he reached for it so often. He shed his sweaty clothes while the tub filled.

In the water, he rested his head against the porcelain and took a deep breath, letting the lavender fill his senses. Slowly, his taut muscles started to unwind.

His heart, however, remained in a tight knot.

It would until he knew his fate where one Sabrina Spellman was concerned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a slow burn, but I hope this satisfied some of the Nabrina wants. It's like some very deep part of Sabrina can't quite stay away from Nick, isn't it? Regardless of where things stand between them right now, I think it's pretty clear that they still have quite the connection... 
> 
> I hope everyone is staying well! I got a TON of DMs from you all on Instagram over this last week and LOVED it. Keep 'em coming! 
> 
> Tell me what you thought of this chapter? I love your comments anyway, but especially during this whole house arrest situation we've got going on! XOXO
> 
> (And if you've never seen those two Hepburn movies, I highly recommend them!)


	10. Chapter Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was honestly blown away by the response to the previous chapter. Like, blown away. Maybe its the necessary house arrest (aka quarantine), but the thought that went into your comments was mind blowing. Thank you so much! 
> 
> Shall we continue? A smidge shorter than usual, but that's just because what comes next is so juicy...

At first glance, the mortuary appeared empty. As usual, it seemed, at least lately. Sabrina sighed and prepared herself for another night with nothing but her own dark thoughts and Salem to keep her company. The sound of a chair sliding across the floor in the kitchen broke through the quiet. She made her way in the direction of it, curious as to which of her aunts was home. 

“Cee!” 

She would have put money on Aunt Hilda, not the town’s resident incubus. 

Cee’s face broke into a bright grin. 

“Sabrina!” he greeted, as jovial as ever. “I haven’t seen you in a while. I’m starting to think you don’t like my milkshakes anymore.” 

“No, nothing like that,” she shook her head. She hadn’t been to Cee’s since her confrontation with Roz. “Just – busy. With two schools and all.” It was nice, not having to lie to someone about her duality. “Where’s Hilda?” 

“She nipped out to take a cake to the Academy for dessert,” Cee answered. “She should be right back. She’s got a roast on for dinner, so I hope you’re hungry. I’m supposed to be watching it while she’s gone.”

“That sounds great.” Sabrina joined Cee at the table, content to sit and wait for Hilda. “How was your trip to Riverdale to look at flowers?” 

“Very successful,” Cee confirmed. “Hilda found what she wants, we had a delightful picnic, and we were home in time for the _Munsters._ ” 

“You’ve set a date then,” Sabrina commented. 

“The weekend after your birthday,” Cee told her. “Not too far away. We saw no reason to wait. Hilda wanted to make sure we celebrate you first though.” 

That small gesture touched Sabrina. She felt so distant from her family lately. It meant a lot to her that Hilda had scheduled her wedding around her birthday. 

“It will be lovely,” Sabrina told him. 

“I could marry her right here in this kitchen dressed in our gardening clothes and be happy,” Cee replied. “I just want her to be my wife.” He smiled a bit. “It’s a bonus that I get you as my niece.” 

Sabrina considered him. He was absolutely glowing at the idea of marrying Hilda. Hilda, too, was happy, both of them over the moon at the idea of being husband and wife. And she had only just realized Cee would, in fact, become her uncle. It was that thought, that he would be family soon, coupled with the fact that she had known him most of her life, that led her to her next question. 

“Cee, can I ask you something?” 

“Of course,” Cee nodded. “Anything at all.” 

Sabrina leaned her elbows on the table and considered him. 

“You’re an incubus.” 

“I am.” 

“Hilda is a witch.” 

“She is.” 

“You’re two different entities.” 

“We are.” 

“And that doesn’t bother you?” 

“Why should it?” Cee wondered. Sabrina shrugged. 

“It’s just – you’re different,” she tried to explain. “You’re, technically, a demon. And she’s a witch. You come from such different backgrounds…” 

“I love Hilda,” Cee said. “It doesn’t matter to me that she’s a witch. She could be a toad wearing a glamour for all I care, and I’d still marry her.” 

“How do you deal with your differences?” Sabrina questioned. “Surely being of two different kinds causes the occasional rub.” 

“We love one another,” Cee said again. “Hilda wouldn’t be Hilda if she weren’t a witch, just like I wouldn’t be Cee if I weren’t an incubus.” Sabrina digested Cee’s words. Before she could say anything further, he gave her a very serious look of his own. “Sabrina, if I may speak candidly?” 

“Of course,” she nodded. 

“You should only ever be loved for who you are. Relationships are hard enough. You don’t need the added strife of trying to be something you aren’t.” He paused for a moment, considering her the way a father might consider a daughter when giving tough advice. “Or, such as the case may be, for being who you are.” 

It was as though he could see right through her. He had read her thoughts accurately, deciphered her feelings, knew she was using him and Hilda to find answers to her own relationship dilemma. She sighed. 

“You’re a wise man, Cee.” 

“Not wise,” Cee shook his head. “Observant.” He smiled a bit bigger. “You have so much to offer this world, Sabrina. Trust yourself. Trust your heart. You’ll be okay in the end.” 

“Thank you, Cee,” Sabrina smiled in return, one of the few genuine smiles form her in recent days. “I’m really glad you’re marrying Hilda.” 

“I get to marry the love of my life and be a part of this family,” Cee spread his arms wide to indicate all the Spellmans. “I’m the lucky one here.” 

“Have you met Zelda?” Sabrina asked with a raised eyebrow. “You get me, but you also get her. That’s a fifty-fifty split. Throw in Ambrose and, well, I don’t know if the odds are in your favor.” 

Cee laughed heartily. Sabrina smiled bigger, feeling lighter than she had in a while. 

“I’ve met them all,” he confirmed. “Each of you is unique in your own way and yet… You’re all Spellmans and that’s the glue that holds you together.” 

Something inside Sabrina warmed in a good way at being referred to as a ‘Spellman.’ She was about to reply when Hilda’s voice rang through the house. 

“Cee? Where are you, dear?” 

“In the kitchen, my sweet!” he called back. Sabrina’s smile remained, but a sort of wistfulness swam in her features. 

“Ah, there you are!” She shuffled in, unwrapping her shawl and paying no attention to her surroundings. “Has Sabrina made it home yet?” She looked up then. “Oh! There you are, love! Just in time for dinner.” 

“I was just talking with Cee,” she greeted her aunt. “He gives great advice.” 

“Oh?” Hilda scuttled to her roast. “On what?” 

“Milkshakes,” Cee answered. He winked at Sabrina. She smiled back at him. Hilda let out a satisfied hum from the stove. 

“Roast is just perfect. Set the table for three then, Sabrina? Zelda and Ambrose will dine at the Academy, but I’m told they will be here for breakfast in the morning. I think I’ll make a lovely fry up. It’s been too long since we’ve all sat down together. Cee? Pour our drinks, if you please.” 

“Of course, Auntie.” Sabrina stood, sure she had never followed her aunt’s instructions so happily. Her mood continued to lighten as she covertly watched Cee and Hilda share a tender moment as they worked around the kitchen. They reminded her that love was real, that it existed, that it could be simple, easy, pure. They kept the ember of hope that she would find that sort of happiness one day burning, if not dimply, burning all the same, deep down in the pit of her stomach. Or was it her heart? 

“Sabrina, we’re going to watch an _Addam’s Family_ marathon after dinner,” Hilda said as she moved the roast to the table, oblivious to her niece’s internal conflict. “Would you like to join us?” 

“I’d like that,” Sabrina said with a soft smile and a single nod of her head. 

“You’ll have to bring your own popcorn,” Cee piped up. “I don’t share.” 

“Duly noted,” Sabrina quipped. 

The next hour passed with the three of them gathered around the table, talking about their days – Sabrina giving a highly edited recount of hers – and eating too much of Hilda’s delicious roast. Somehow, there was still room for dessert when she produced brownies and ice cream. They were on their third episode of _Addam’s Family_ when a knock sounded at the door. 

“Are you expecting anyone, love?” Hilda asked Sabrina as she stood to go to the door. 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head, uncurling her legs from where she had folded herself comfortably into an armchair with her own bowl of popcorn and a blanket. It was suspicious, someone knocking on the mortuary door this late in the evening. They lived on the furthest outskirts of town and their aunts weren’t known for attracting neighborly visits. She listened, expecting chaos to erupt on her doorstep, but she could only make out the soft hum of indistinguishable voices. A few moments later, Hilda reappeared. 

“You’ve got a caller, dear,” she said to Sabrina, eyes wide with meaning. Harvey appeared behind her. 

“Harvey.” Sabrina got to her feet in surprise. “What are you doing here?” 

Harvey looked nervous, his hands in the pockets of his utility coat. 

“I was hoping I could talk to you for a few minutes,” he greeted. 

“Sure,” Sabrina nodded. She left the room and led Harvey outside. It felt safer out there. Less intimate. They stood side by side at the railing. “What’s going on, Harvey? It’s nearly eight o’clock on a school night. Why are you here?” 

“I came to ask you the same thing,” Harvey countered. “About what’s going on.” 

“Nothing…”

Harvey shook his head. 

“Don’t try that with me, Sabrina. The clocks started spinning today…” 

Sabrina frowned. 

“You remember that?” she interrupted. 

“Well, yeah,” Harvey nodded. “No one else seems to. I assume that’s Scratch’s doings.” 

“Nick modified their memories,” she confirmed, not sure if she was grateful or annoyed that he had left Harvey’s untouched. She was certain of one thing, however. Nicholas Scratch never did anything without a purpose. “He was right to do it – too much odd stuff has happened. Spinning clocks can’t be explained away like tornadoes and earthquakes.” 

“Those were you, too?” Harvey asked with surprise. She remembered then that she had explained away the earthquake as just that – an earthquake, with the caveat that they _thought_ it had been a spell performed by someone at the Academy gone wrong, which was why they had disappeared so quickly. Harvey had believed her, perhaps a bit too easily, but he had believed her all the same, and quickly at that. 

“They weren’t _me_ ,” Sabrina said with more aggression than she meant to. “Those were Faustus Blackwood’s doings.” 

“So, your coven is in trouble?” Harvey pressed, trying to understand. “Again?” She heard what sounded like both annoyance and concern in Harvey’s tone. 

“We’re figuring it out,” she said, not willing to tell him about her own troubles. 

“So that’s why Nick is around,” Harvey mused. 

“Nick is a powerful warlock,” Sabrina reminded him. “My coven needs his abilities.” 

“You’re defending him again,” Harvey said with an edge to his voice. Sabrina felt weary. She somehow always seemed to find herself here, stuck between Harvey and Nicholas for one reason or another. 

“Harvey…” 

“No, I’m sorry,” Harvey sighed and shook his head. “You’re clearly in the middle of something with your coven. I just feel like you’re leaving me out of it.” 

“I don’t mean this the way it might sound, but you’re not exactly a warlock, let alone a member of my coven,” she said as gently as she could. “You’ve been incredible, with Hell, with the Pagans. But this… This is magic we’ve never seen before. We don’t even know what we’re dealing with.” With both her and Blackwood. “You can’t help with this, Harvey. This is our fight. Not yours.” 

Harvey seemed to take on some of her weariness. 

“Is it too much to ask for to just have a normal relationship?” he wondered. “We finally get a break in all of the craziness and something else happens.” 

Sabrina knew what he meant, but his words shifted something in her. It felt like someone had lifted a weight off her chest or else blinders from her eyes. Or perhaps both. She saw Harvey and their relationship clearly then, Cee’s words from earlier echoing around in her head. 

“Harvey, do you love me?” she asked. 

Harvey’s frown deepened. 

“Of course I love you, Sabrina. You know I do.” 

“What do you love about me?” she continued. 

“You’re,” he hesitated for a moment, “smart. Pretty. Kind. I don’t know, Sabrina. I love a lot of things about you.” 

“That’s true, perhaps,” Sabrina nodded. “But Harvey, you don’t love _me_.” 

She was as gentle as she could be in her delivery. His face clouded in confusion. 

“How can you say that?” he asked. “I’ve loved you for years.” 

“Maybe,” Sabrina agreeded. “But I’m a witch, Harvey. My life… It’s complicated. Even if you were to take away all the Hell stuff, the Blackwood stuff, the Pagans… Even if I were just a normal witch, or as normal as a witch can be, this would be complicated. You love a part of me, Harvey. You love my mortal part. But you don’t love all of me.” She thought that might be why they had gotten back together. He was attracted to her mortal side and that side was so very prevalent right now. Without her witch being to balance her out, she had acted on her familiar attachment to Harvey without much thought of the consequences. “My witch side scares you. And I am a witch, Harvey, in every sense of the word. It’s who I am and I can’t and won’t change that.” 

Her statement brought with it other realizations, other thoughts. She couldn’t address those now, however. She had to focus on Harvey and what she had to do. 

“I’m well aware of what you are,” Harvey tried. “That doesn’t matter to me.” 

“Harvey, do you realize that I can say two words and disappear into thin air?” 

“You’ve done it plenty,” he retorted. “With me, even. It’s not especially pleasant.” 

“I can summon a demon to do my bidding if I want to,” she continued in an effort to prove her point. “There is a jar hidden in my house that serves as a prison for a sleep demon that attacked my family, one I accidentally unleashed. I’ve performed exorcisms, created a mandrake double of myself, helped my best friend see again with a single spell. The list goes on and on. And it will always be like that. I will always participate in ancient rituals that you can’t be a part of, celebrate holidays that may seem barbaric to you but mean a lot to me and my family. You love the part of me that draws from my mortal side, that tries to be like my Baxter High peers. But that’s not who I am. That’s only a part of me.” 

She paused, taking him in. He looked sad but resigned. She thought, perhaps, deep down, he knew she was right, knew it would come down to this all along. 

“You’re not a part of my world, Harvey.” Her words were blunt but true. “My mom was mortal, but she wanted to be a part of this. You don’t. You want something different, something normal. Something I can’t give you without sacrificing who I am.” 

“You’re breaking up with me,” Harvey said after a beat of silence, putting words to what they both knew was happening. Sabrina nodded, sad but also, surprisingly, relieved. 

“You were the best first love a girl could ever ask for,” she told him truthfully. “You are sweet and kind and you care so much. There is a part of me that will always love you, but not the way you deserve to be loved. And you can’t love me the way I deserve, either, even if you wanted to. We’re just too different.”

Sabrina could see that now. Even if Harvey wanted to love all of her, he just couldn’t. Her witch side went against his grain. He was no witch hunter, despite his genetics, but there was a fundamental part of him that wanted what she couldn’t give him – normal, easy, simple. Even when the realms were balanced and she was her whole self, normal and easy weren’t who she was. She had finally accepted that truth. 

Harvey took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He looked out over the graveyard, collecting his thoughts, accepting that they were over, this time for good. When he looked back at her, his eyes were damp with unshed tears. 

“I’ll always love you too, Sabrina.” 

With a sad smile, she stepped forward and hugged him. He returned the hug, understanding it was a goodbye. When he pulled away, he wiped at his eye and spent a few moments studying his shoes. 

“I’m sorry, Harvey,” Sabrina offered. “But this is the right thing to do. For both of us.” 

Harvey nodded. 

“If you say so.” 

“I do,” she confirmed. “I think you’ll see that one of the days. And I’m so sorry I came between you and Roz. That was incredibly wrong of me. I know I can’t change it, but I can apologize.” 

“I’m guilty of letting you,” Harvey said with a hint of an edge to his tone. He shoved his hands back into his pockets. “I guess I should go.” 

“I’m sorry, Harvey,” Sabrina offered again. Harvey only nodded and turned away. He was halfway down the stairs, Sabrina still on the porch, content to watch him walk away, aware that their friendship would never be the same, that they may never be friends at all, when he stopped and turned back to her. 

“You’re going back to Nick, aren’t you?” 

It was Sabrina who took her time answering. It was a complicated question and she didn’t have an answer. 

“I don’t know,” she finally said. “Not right now. Maybe one day, if things work out that way. But not right now.” 

Harvey saw the writing on the wall, even if she didn’t. Perhaps it wouldn’t be tomorrow or the next day or even the next month, but he was certain Sabrina Spellman would end up back in the arms of one Nicholas Scratch. He bit his tongue to keep from asking her what she wasn’t telling him, remembering Nick’s curse. He let it go, recognizing it was no longer his place to try to involve himself in her magical troubles. 

“Goodnight, Sabrina.” 

“Goodnight, Harvey.” 

She stayed outside, lost in her thoughts, watching him until he disappeared into the night in his beat up hand-me-down pickup. Hilda was coming out of the living room with their empty bowls of popcorn – it appeared she and Cee had eaten hers in her absence – when Sabrina came inside. 

“Harvey already gone?” she asked curiously. Sabrina nodded. 

“He’s gone,” she confirmed. She decided to confide in Hilda. “I broke up with him.” 

Hilda’s eyes bulged. 

“You did?” 

“It was the right thing to do,” she said with confidence. “A part of me will always love him, but I finally saw what everyone has been trying to tell me. He doesn’t love _me_. Just some of me. The mortal part of me. The witch – or celestial or whatever it is – part of me makes him uncomfortable, even if he has truly tried to accept it. We both deserve more than being half in.” 

“I’m sorry, love,” Hilda said in her kind way. “You doing okay?” 

“Surprisingly,” Sabrina nodded. “I’m learning a lot about myself these days.” 

“You’ve been through a lot,” Hilda continued. “It’s impossible not to grow and change after the year you’ve had.” 

“Sixteen won’t go down as my favorite year of life,” Sabrina admitted.

“I suppose it's a good thing you have quite a number of years ahead of you to have better ones,” Hilda quipped. Sabrina smiled a bit, but it was full of melancholy. 

“I suppose so,” she agreed. “I’m going to go upstairs, turn in for the night. Thank you for letting me crash you and Cee’s TV night.”

“Of course,” Hilda said kindly. “You’re a strong girl, Sabrina. And someday, you will find someone who loves every single part of you, the mortal and the witch, the good and the warts.” She smiled a bit, ever the romantic. “Who knows? You may already know them.” 

Sabrina was no fool. Hilda was referring to Nick. Sabrina couldn’t go there right now though, not with everything else going on. She couldn’t deny there was still something between them, but there was also crushing hurt and pain there, waiting to be addressed. When it finally boiled over, it wouldn’t be pretty. Both of them were too passionate, too raw, for anything other than an inevitable confrontation that would have the ability to wipe out anyone and anything in its path to occur. But they were also too stubborn, too connected, to do anything other than stand in the ashes, chests heaving as they stared one another down, to find out what happened next. 

“Goodnight, Hilda,” Sabrina said. 

“Goodnight, dear.” Hilda watched her niece, the true love of her life, climb the stairs. “Sabrina?” Sabrina turned back to look down at her. 

“Yes, auntie?” 

“Have you done something different to your hair?” 

“No,” she shook her head, choosing to continue her lie. “Perhaps it’s a trick of the light?” 

“Perhaps,” Hilda said, though she didn’t sound convinced. “I’ll see you at breakfast.” Sabrina only nodded and continued up the stairs. 

In her bedroom, Sabrina sat down at her vanity and began the process of removing her makeup. Her eyes fell on the red candle engraved with Harvey and Nick’s names. Ambrose must have put it there to remind her of what her decisions had cost her. She knew now that the spell was child’s play, but the sight of it still pulled at her chest, made a stray tear fall. 

As she tossed it in the trash, content to never see it again, she didn’t think of Harvey. 

She thought of Nick and the pained expression on his handsome face when he picked up the candle and saw his name engraved. Salt in his very deep wounds. 

It was that thought – that she was salt in so many people’s wounds – that chased her to a restless sleep and visited her in her dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No more Habrina. 
> 
> Earlier in the story, Harvey seemed to be just - dumb. But he's not. He's a teenage boy. He wants a girlfriend to sit on the back of his truck and have picnics with and kiss goodnight. Like - normal high school relationships. He can't have that with Sabrina. Sure, she's a teenager - and so is Nick - but nothing about them is normal, even if they lived "normal" magical lives. It's not that Harvey's "dumb." It's that he wants a normal relationship and while he does love Sabrina, she's more complicated and it's just not in their cards to end up together. 
> 
> Personally, I loved the idea of exploring Cee's incubus side just a tad to help Sabrina see why they were incompatible. Cee loves Hilda and vice versa, warts and all. They were the mirror she needed to see how her and Harvey simply didn't fit. 
> 
> But now she's single and I don't think she was wrong about that brewing eruption. More Nabrina coming very soon! 
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts! 
> 
> (And if you wanted to tell me which grad school I should go to, AFI or USC, I'm now resorting to polling the audience because HOW DO YOU CHOOSE?! Who let me be an adult "capable of making decisions?") 
> 
> XOXO


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knew we were all Cee fans? 
> 
> Now that Harvey's out of the way - well, there's all of this... Enjoy.

Sabrina was climbing the stairs of the Academy when the doors swung open. Nick stepped out, his leather coat on, his messenger bag over his shoulder. He looked surprised when his eyes fell on her. 

“Sabrina.” 

“Nick,” she replied, more guarded. He took in her appearance. She looked tired. 

“What are you doing here?” he asked curiously. “We’ve got school in fifteen minutes.” Sabrina shook her head. 

“I’m not going to Baxter High today. I thought I might actually attend my classes here for a change.” Nick looked suspicious but didn’t press. 

“I guess if you’re not going to Baxter High there’s no reason for me to go either,” he said instead. “It’s not like I’m learning anything there anyway.” 

Sabrina wondered why he was so smart, what it was about him that made him simply retain knowledge. If he read something once, it was committed to memory. He couldn’t be on time to save his life, but he could recall every detail of a book he had read in an afternoon five years ago. It wasn’t a common trait, mortal or warlock. Not even Ambrose retained knowledge the way Nick did – he had to reference a book, check facts. Nick generally just – knew. 

“Guess not,” she agreed after a beat. Nick turned and held the door open for her. Together, they entered the Academy. He glanced at her as they wandered through the entry. 

“You doing okay after yesterday?” 

He was referring to the spinning clocks, she reminded herself. He didn’t know about Harvey – no one outside of Hilda did as far as she knew – and she wasn’t quite ready to tell him or anyone else. 

“I’m okay,” she confirmed. “Thank you again, Nick.” 

His response was to wink and part ways without a word, undoubtedly heading for the library or the sanctum. She blew out a breath and set out in the opposite direction for her first class of the day. 

She tried in vain to pay attention to whatever Zelda was teaching. She doodled in the margins of her notebook as she half listened, kept pulling her thoughts back to the blackboard whenever they strayed to an idea that began to form the longer she sat there. By the time Zelda dismissed class, she had made up her mind. Her classmates went left, towards the dining hall. She went right. 

Nick was, of course, in the sanctum. The door was open, and he didn’t notice her at first, completely engrossed in whatever he was reading. He was wearing glasses, something she hadn’t seen before. She thought she rather liked how they looked on him. They somehow made him look even more sophisticated than he already was. She raised her fist and knocked on the frame. He looked up. 

“Sabrina?” 

“I have an idea,” she greeted. 

“Dare I ask?” Nick replied with a skeptical tone. 

“You’re not going to like it.” 

“I’m not surprised.” 

Sabrina took a big breath. Nick was absolutely not going to like what she was about to propose, but she was trying to do the right thing by not going forth with it on her own. That had to earn her some credit. 

“I want to go to Hell and find out what the other Sabrina is up to.” 

Nick was already shaking his head. 

“No. Absolutely not. You cannot…” 

“Nick, we need to know,” she cut him off. “We only have half the story – my story. We need to know what she’s doing, if your hypothesis is right and she’s growing less feeling, more powerful. My quick glimpse a few weeks ago doesn’t confirm anything. Because if she is growing more powerful, she is not going to want to cooperate to get us back as one. We have to know what we we’re dealing with.” 

Nick considered the proposal. She could tell he was waning on his stance, knew she was right. She decided to go for the jugular. 

“You and Ambrose asked me not to do anything rash. This is me, not being rash. I’m coming to you, asking for your…” she trailed off. “Not help.” She wanted that to be absolutely clear. She had already asked too much of him. “Your – blessing, or whatever.” 

Another few beats of silence passed between them. 

“I can admit that you’re not wrong about needing to know what Queen Sabrina is up to,” he finally said. “But Sabrina, you can’t waltz through the portal and right into Pandemonium. If you were seen…” He trailed off, but he didn’t need to finish the sentence. He chewed his lip, struggling with his decision. “Let’s go talk to Ambrose,” he suggested. “Get his opinion on this.” 

“He’s going to hate it,” Sabrina said. “We don’t need…” 

“We need to tell him,” Nick cut in with a serious tone. “No more lies, Sabrina.” 

She understood. No more lies. To Ambrose. To him. To each other. 

Even if they were both aware that there was a stack of lies between them. 

“Fine,” she agreed. 

She trailed a few paces behind Nick as they wound their way down the sanctum’s wrought iron staircase and to the library. They had to wait for Ambrose to finish helping a student find a text before they could talk to him. He eyed Sabrina suspiciously. 

“I know that look,” he greeted. “You’re up to something, Sabrina.” 

“She wants to go to Hell and find out what the other Sabrina is up to,” Nick got right to the point. 

“Absolutely not,” Ambrose shook his head adamantly. “No, no, no, no, no.” 

“Ambrose…” 

“She has a valid point,” Nick interjected, a hand out to stop her argument before it could start. She glowered at him. He ignored her. “We need to know what the other Sabrina is doing. If our theory is correct and Queen Sabrina is becoming emotionless while growing ever more powerful, she’s not going to be agreeable to merging back into one being. We need a read on what we’re dealing with.” 

Ambrose huffed. Even he saw the logic. 

“You can’t just go to Hell,” he pointed out. “If the wrong demon or whatever the Heaven else is down there finds out there are two of you, there will be, no pun intended, Hell to pay.” 

“I’ll be careful,” Sabrina tried. 

“No,” Ambrose shook her head. “It’s too risky.” 

“Someone has to go!” Sabrina protested. “I know my way around. I can slip through the shadows…” 

“No,” Ambrose said again. “I agree that we need to know, but you cannot be the one that goes.” 

“Who else is supposed to go?” Sabrina challenged. “Who else is there, Ambrose? 

Ambrose and Nick looked at one another. Sabrina looked between them, trying to decipher the wordless conversation they were having. Her eyes grew big. 

“No!” she cried out, stepping between them. “No! Absolutely not! Nick is not going to Hell. No way. Over my dead body…” 

She wouldn’t stand for it. She wouldn’t allow it. Nick would absolutely not go through that portal for her ever again. 

“Calm down,” Ambrose raised his hands in a gesture of peace. “I was going to suggest that _I_ go.” He glanced at Nick, then back at Sabrina. “We wouldn’t ask that of Nicholas.” 

There was an awkward moment of silence. 

“It’s not a bad idea,” Nick said, stepping up to be the one to break the quiet. “Ambrose, you went to Hell a few times, right?” 

“I did,” Ambrose confirmed. “I admittedly don’t know it as well as Sabrina, but I can make my way around. I can even do a little magic to disguise myself. I’ll be as quick as I can. In and out.” 

“I still think I should go,” Sabrina protested. “I got us into this mess…” 

“You can’t, Sabrina,” Nick said, drawing her attention to him. He held her eyes. “It’s not worth the risk.” 

In a flash, Sabrina was in the woods, all dressed in white, chasing Nick, the moment playing out like a dramatic silent film. She saw his rage-filled face, so different than the Nick she loved so much, saw his mouth moving and even though her memory didn’t have sound, she still knew the words he was spewing, could recite them verbatim, recall every detail as he revealed the torture he had been through. The sound came roaring into to her memory and she heard the part that had latched onto her heart and refused to let her go. 

_“You weren’t worth it.”_

“Sabrina?” 

Ambrose’s voice broke through her reverie. She startled back to the present, avoided Nick’s questioning eyes. 

“Fine,” she agreed with a jerky nod of her head. “When do we do this?” 

“Now?” Nick suggested. 

“What about Dorian?” Ambrose countered. “How do we explain our way through his portrait?” 

“It’s Thursday afternoon,” Nick said. “He closes the bar and goes – somewhere – to refill his supply of, as he puts it, the most quality highs. He’ll be gone for hours.” 

“I forgot about that,” Ambrose nodded, recalling then that Dorian disappeared once a week to restock his supply of premium drugs and drinks, even now when his business wasn’t exactly booming. “But how do we get in?” 

Nick’s hands were shoved deep in his pockets. He rocked back on his heels a bit. 

“For better or for worse, I’ve got a key to the place,” he admitted. “Perk or perhaps downfall of being a raging alcoholic.” It felt like a knife twisted into Sabrina’s gut at the mention of his addiction. “It’s in my room. I’ll go get it.” 

His exit was quick. Sabrina breathed out a big breath although it didn’t take away the ache she felt at the reminder of the things Nick had been through, what he had said, the lies he had told. It was confusing, to care so deeply for someone and hate them so much. Because she did hate him. A part of her did, at least. He had absolutely wrecked her heart. But she had wrecked him first by allowing him to sacrifice himself for her. It was more than she could stand. 

“Cousin?” Ambrose questioned. “Are you okay?”

“No,” Sabrina admitted. “But there’s not time for that. Ambrose, promise me – promise me – that you will be careful? I can’t bear it if something happens to you. Especially if that something is because of me.” 

“I’ll be fine, Sabrina,” Ambrose said in the gentlest tone he had used with her in weeks. “I’m not a half bad warlock, remember? I’ll go down to Pandemonium disguised as my favorite demon, do some recon, and be back before you know it.” 

“You have to be,” Sabrina insisted. “I mean it, Ambrose. I already destroyed Nick. I can’t do that to you too.” Her eyes filled with tears she blinked away as Ambrose looked on, concern plain on his face. “Let me go,” she tried. “Let me do this.” 

“It’s safer this way.” Ambrose put soothing hands on her shoulders. “You’re not worth the risk…” 

“Don’t say that,” Sabrina cut in, a note of hysteria in her voice. “Please, don’t say I’m not worth the risk.” Ambrose’s concern deepened. 

“All I mean – all Nick meant – is it’s not worth the risk of sending you down there. If someone were to see you, the consequences would be astronomical. It’s safer for me.” He considered her. “What’s going on, cousin? It feels like there’s more at play here.” 

“I’m just – exhausted.” That wasn’t a lie. Emotional exhaustion barely covered the surface of what she felt. She was wound tight and could feel the tension ever building, nearing a breaking point as the spring within her coiled tighter and tighter. The tension was a constant reminder that she was the cause of so much suffering, that she was preciously close from snapping. “All of this, it’s a lot.” 

“It is a lot,” Ambrose agreed. “But we’ll find a way out of it.” He smiled a bit. “We always do.” 

Nick reappeared then, a bit out of breath. 

“Got it.” He held up the key. “Shall we?” 

The walk to Dorian’s was quiet, none of them speaking much. Sabrina kept her distance, both physically, trailing behind them a few steps, and emotionally. Again, she ignored Nick’s curious glances, worked to keep herself closed off, lest he shoulder more of her burden. At Dorian’s, Nick let them in and turned on the lights. Ambrose wasted no time in going for the portal. 

“If I’m not back in an hour…” 

“I’m coming down,” Sabrina finished. “No questioned asked.” Ambrose nodded his agreement. He lifted his hands to cast the spell he needed to change his appearance, but Nick stepped forward. 

“Let me,” he said. “I know more about demons than either of you.” 

Sabrina had to remind herself it wasn’t a dig at her or at what he had been through. At least she didn’t think it was. Nick had always been far above average in demonology. She stood quietly as he worked, transforming Ambrose into a hideous demon with a complicated spell. Nick surveyed his work and gave a satisfied nod. 

“It will hold for an hour,” he said. “Be smart.” 

“Always.” Ambrose spared them a salute before he turned towards the portal. Sabrina’s breath caught as he disappeared. She crossed her arms over her chest, intent on standing guard over the portal. She spared the clock a glance, just to know when to mark an hour. Behind her, Nick was moving around. 

“Want a drink?” 

Sabrina whirled to face him. He was behind the bar, digging through the cabinets underneath it. 

“Nicholas!” she exclaimed. “Don’t you dare!” 

“Relax, Sabrina.” He produced two coffee mugs. “A little-known fact? Gray serves more than just alcohol.” He waved his hand at an elaborate machine to the left of him. “What will it be? Tea? A latte? Cappuccino?” 

It took Sabrina a moment to answer, her skepticism painfully obvious. 

“A latte,” she finally said. 

“One latte coming up.” He looked at her for a moment. “Decaff, I think. You seem a bit tense.” 

“My cousin just went through the portal and into Hell to find out what the other me is up to,” she reminded him. “Tense would be a word for it.” 

Nick said nothing. He went to work, brewing coffee and steaming milk. Sabrina watched him curiously as he poured espresso into each mug. He added something – lavender, she noted – then artfully poured in the steamed milk, producing near perfect pentagrams on the top of each mug. He added a bit of honey, then carefully slid one of the mugs across the bar. She took a seat on a stool while Nick remained on the other side of the counter. 

“Lavender?” she questioned. 

“It’s good,” he promised. “There’s a bit of vanilla in there, too.” 

Sabrina picked up the mug and took a dainty sip. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. 

“It’s delicious,” she admitted. Nick smirked. 

“I know.” He picked up his own mug and took a satisfactory sip of his own. Sabrina took another as well, begrudgingly impressed with his skills as a barista. 

“Where did you learn how to make lattes?” she wondered. 

“I tried a few hobbies before I landed on running.” He said it as casually as if they were discussing the weather and not his coping mechanism for avoiding drugs and alcohol. “I tried out being a barista for a couple of weeks, decided it wasn’t for me. Generally speaking, mortals that frequent coffee shops tend to come with ridiculously complicated coffee orders and customer service wasn’t my strong suit.” The corners of Sabrina’s lips threatened to turn upwards as she imagined Nick trying to craft complicated coffee orders in a mortal café. “I decided I would just become a coffee snob instead.” 

Sabrina absorbed the information. It was the smallest of peeks into the last few months of his life. She was growing ever more curious about where he had been and what he done while he was gone. She nearly wished she wasn’t. It would have been easier to not care. 

“What else did you try?” she asked, not sure he would tell her. Nick shrugged a shoulder. 

“Well, there was whittling. That was boring and lasted maybe a day. I bought a guitar. I still pick it up from time to time, but I’m learning to play, and I needed something more immediate at that point, something that wouldn’t cause me to become frustrated the way I would get when the notes wouldn’t quite come and my patience was thin. Mortals seem to like golf, so I tried that. It may have been more boring than whittling. I went rock climbing a couple of times. I liked that, but there aren’t many places to climb around Greendale and I knew if I was coming back, I needed something I could do here as needed.”

“You always intended to come back?” Sabrina asked, surprised at the little nugget of information. She wasn’t ready for Nick’s honesty. 

“When I first left, I didn’t know if I’d be back,” he admitted. Sabrina internally recoiled. She had pushed him out of his home. Of course he had left. The Spellmans had basically overthrown the Academy and he wanted to be nowhere near them, not after she had caused him so much pain, reminded him of her father at every turn. He held her eyes. He did that a lot, she noted. When he did, he almost always had something significant to say, one of those sentences that were simple in nature but seemed to be loaded with so much more meaning. “Turns out, I couldn’t stay away.” 

Sabrina’s heart fluttered. She broke their eye contact and studied her latte. She was hyper aware of him watching her as he sipped his drink, waiting for her to make the next move. Their game of chess was growing ever more intense, each of them capturing pieces here and there, but neither of them quite able to declare checkmate, both of them strategic players, neither ready to bend. She finally lifted her eyes back to his. 

“Why are you helping me?” she asked. “You should know by now, perhaps better than anyone. Getting involved with anything to do with me usually ends up with disastrous consequences.”

Once more, Nick took his time answering. 

“Call me crazy, but I think we all have things in our lives that are unavoidable, inevitable.” He again held her eyes. “You… You’re one of my things.” 

Somehow, a warmth enveloped her while goosebumps ran up her spine. 

“You should stay far away from me,” she said in a moment of brutal honesty. “I cause too much trouble. The people I care about… They end up hurt.” She looked away, hoping he wouldn’t see the tears in her eyes. She hated him right then, that he could make her confess some of her deepest, darkest secrets and fears, just because he was him. 

“Sabrina.” 

She tried to turn her head even further away, willed him to just leave her alone. He was, of course, persistent. His hand, so warm and gentle and kinder than she thought she deserved, landed on her wrist. 

“Sabrina, look at me.” 

Sabrina squeezed her eyes shut and tried to take a deep breath. She reminded herself she needed to stay calm, that odd things happened when she let her emotions get too out of control. Nick’s hand squeezed her wrist. 

“Sabrina.” 

She turned her head back in his direction, but kept her eyes averted. 

“Is that what’s been going on with you lately?” he wondered. “A worry that the people around you end up hurt?” 

“It’s not a worry, it’s a reality,” she told him, eyes still downcast. “I’ve caused too much trouble and now I’m suffering the consequences.” She refused to tell him how lonely she felt, just how much she was struggling with the path her life had taken. She had already told him too much. 

Nick didn’t move his hand, but yet again his reply didn’t come right away. When it did, it was poignant. 

“You told me once that the ability to love was a virtue. Do you remember that?” She nodded. She would never forget that night. It was the first time Nick had lied to her. But it was also the first time she had seen behind the mask, saw him vulnerable. It was also the first time she had hurt him, killing the only family he had. “I don’t know anyone that has the ability to love in a greater capacity than you, Sabrina. It’s your greatest asset, not your fatal flaw.” He removed his hand, but his fingertips trailed over her skin as he took it away. “Don’t you dare let yourself think it is.” 

He busied himself with cleaning up the espresso machine, allowing Sabrina time to compose herself. He needed the time too. It was all he could do, not to pull her into his arms to comfort her, tell her how much he loved her, how sorry he was for everything he had put her through. 

How desperate he was for her forgiveness. 

How he fell asleep nearly every night, praying to an unknown God that he would get just one more chance with her. 

He wouldn’t need another one. 

“Nick?” 

Her voice was soft, tentative. He looked at her, waited. She was so sad, so vulnerable. He gripped the rag in his hand tightly to keep from reaching for her. 

“Nick, I’m so sorry…”

“Sabrina,” Nick cut her off with a shake of his head. “Not yet. You and I… We need to have a very difficult conversation. Likely more than one. But I can’t have those conversations until every part of you is back as one.”

Sabrina nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She focused on sipping her latte while Nick finished cleaning. She was in her own world, a place where she seemed to be often where she thought of both everything and nothing at all, when a napkin with a thatched pattern drawn on it appeared in front of her. She looked up at Nick. He offered her a pen. 

“Tic tac toe,” he announced. “It’s only been thirty minutes. You need to take your mind off of Ambrose being gone. Ladies go first.” 

Sabrina took the pen without a word and selected her square. She drew a need ‘O’ and passed the pen back to Nick. He etched out an ‘X’ in another square. They went back and forth, until the were no squares empty. 

“Cat won that one,” Nick scrawled a ‘C’ over their game. They continued to play, most of their games ending in a tie, each too smart to be outwitted by the other more often than not. The napkin filled, the minutes passed. 

“Can I ask you something?” Sabrina questioned, eyes on the small hatch Nick had sketched into the last remaining spot of the napkin. 

“I reserve the right to withhold my answer until I’m talking to all of you,” he countered, “but yes, ask away.” 

“Fair enough,” Sabrina nodded. She thought it should annoy her that Nick wouldn’t talk to her in her current state, but she actually found some sort of comfort in it. Nick didn’t see her as half this, half that. He saw her as – her – even now. “How are you sleeping?” 

Her question surprised Nick. 

“How am I sleeping?” he repeated. 

“I know you don’t want to talk about – anything – but you were having a hard time sleeping and I just... “ She rarely fumbled over her words, but with Nick, everything felt fragile, like she might say the wrong thing, do the wrong thing, and send the very shaky foundation they stood on crumbling. She didn’t think she could stand it if she sent him running from her again, not right now. They weren’t together. They weren’t even friends. But his presence in her life felt surprisingly dependable when nothing else did. She couldn’t jeopardize that. “I want you to take care of yourself, not focus entirely on me.” 

Nick pursed his lips. She was the very center of his universe. But he had learned he couldn’t let his entire world revolve around her. She could be his moon, but not his sun. Even if in his version of the solar system, the moon shined brightest. 

“I’m sleeping better,” he said truthfully. “My nightmares aren’t as frequent and when they do come, I can handle them better.” He didn’t tell her they had shifted in nature, that many of them involved her. “Sometimes I might drink some tea to help me get to sleep and I’ve never been one to turn in early, but overall, I’m sleeping better. You can take that off your list of things to worry about.” 

“You’re telling me the truth?” she questioned. 

“No more lies,” he said with a shake of his head. “Even when the truth hurts. That goes for whether I’m talking to half of you or all of you.” 

“Okay then,” she agreed. She placed an ‘O’ in the last open space on their game. “I win.” 

Nick surveyed the hatch and saw she had in fact beat him on a diagonal. 

“You won,” he agreed, drawing an ‘S’ over the game. “We’re out of napkin space.” 

Sabrina glanced at the clock. 

“Ambrose has five minutes,” she observed. “If he’s not back in five minutes…” 

The portrait opened as though Sabrina had cued it and Ambrose, now in his regular form, emerged. 

“Ambrose!” Sabrina scrambled off the stool. She was too relieved to see him to notice the grave look on his face. Nick, however, did. He rushed from behind the counter. “Are you okay? What happened down there?” 

“I’m fine,” he said. “But we have a problem…” 

Nick saw her first. 

“Lilith.” 

Lilith emerged from the portrait with the smuggest of smirks firmly on her lips. 

“Well, well, well,” she greeted. “You really have done it this time, haven’t you, Sabrina Spellman?” 

“What are you doing here?” Sabrina spat out, her anger sudden, hot and blinding at the sight of Lilith. 

“I was doing my duty as servant to the queen when I noted an out of place demon lurking in the shadows. Ambrose should be so lucky that it was I who noticed and not our King.” She eyed Sabrina. “Or our Queen.” Her lips twisted even more. “I knew there was something amiss with the Queen of Pandemonium. She’s a real bitch and I don’t mean that in the pain of my ass sort of way you’ve always been.” 

“Lilith…” 

Sabrina couldn’t find words. Anger coursed through her as she took in the woman, noting her less than spectacular appearance. She had once trusted Lilith, believed her an ally. She knew better now. 

“Oh, don’t you worry, dear,” Lilith drawled. “I’m not going to spill your secrets – yet.” 

“Lilith would like Queen Sabrina off the throne,” Ambrose supplied. “It seems we have provided her with a way to make that happen.” 

“I suppose you still want to be Queen?” Sabrina asked. 

“I’m content to allow my son to take the title.” Her hand went to her stomach. Sabrina’s eyes widened. Lilith’s smirk continued to grow. “That’s right, earthly Sabrina. I’m pregnant with your half-brother. And we all know how the Dark Lord feels about men as the superior species.” 

A world of conflict raged through Sabrina. She wanted to hit and kick and claw at Lilith. She wanted to protect her brother. She wanted to run as far away as possible. 

“You’re still manipulating me,” she spat. “I’m so sick and tired of people manipulating me!” 

“Oh, child,” Lilith drawled. “You do this to yourself.” 

“I didn’t deserve any of this!” Sabrina erupted, every pent up moment of rage bubbling over. “I never wanted any of this! All I wanted was a normal life! To be a witch and a Spellman woman and maybe fall in love with someone who would love me back.” Nick squirmed uncomfortably. “You took all of that away from me!” Tears poured down her cheeks. “You made the prophesy come true! You made me claim the damned throne so I could save my boyfriend. You promised me you would take care of him and you didn’t! And then you kept pushing me, kept showing up and reminding me that Caliban would take my throne and that I simply had to protect it.” She brushed her hand angrily at her tears. “You wouldn’t even let me cry after my boyfriend broke my heart! You told me ‘Queens don’t cry’ and sent me back to Hell!” 

Nick inhaled sharply at the mention of what had transpired between them. 

“You could have stopped at any point,” Lilith pointed out. “You chose to keep going. You wanted to be queen.” She smirked again. “So much so you’ve split yourself in half.” 

Sabrina lunged for her with the intention of slapping her as hard as she could. Ambrose grabbed a hold of her. 

“Calm down, cousin!” 

“Calm down?” she shrieked. “Calm down? Lilith has taken everything from me, Ambrose! All because of who I am!” Her tears poured fast and hard. Nick hung back, his anxiety peaking between both concern for Sabrina and the arrival of Lilith. “It’s not fair!” 

“No,” Ambrose agreed. “It’s not. And she will pay for what she’s done.” Lilith rolled her eyes at what she thought was an empty threat. “But you losing your temper now will do us no favors, will it?” 

“I hate her!” Sabrina cried out. “I hate her!” 

“We all do,” Ambrose nodded. Lilith scoffed in annoyance. “But we’re in dire straits now. She knows and she’s giving us an unspecified amount of time to merge you back in half and figure out the consequences before she blows our secret right out of the water. Or flames, such as it is.” 

“You will merge yourself together,” Lilith added. “And you will then hand over the crown. To my son.” She pierced Sabrina with a deathly look. “Or else.” 

Sabrina lunged for her again. 

This time, it was Nick’s strong arms that wrapped around her. He pulled her back into his chest. She fought, trying to get away, trying to do whatever harm she could inflict upon Lilith, any thought of magical retaliation gone as nothing but physical contact would sooth the rage flowing through her. Nick’s arms tightened around her. 

“Stop it, Sabrina,” he hissed in her ear. “You know what happens when your emotions take over. Is it worth the risk?” 

It took a few moments, but her rage tempered at Nick’s chosen words, words he didn’t realize would affect her so. He felt her body begin to relax a bit. He let her go when he felt it was safe enough. 

“I will end you,” Sabrina promised. “You and Lucifer both.” 

“But then who will sit on the throne?” Lilith countered. “You? Or Caliban?” 

“I don’t want it,” she spat. “I never did. Not truly.” 

She was beginning to see that. Nick had said that Hell brought out the worst in her and she had pondered that idea in quiet moments. She wanted to ask him more about what he meant by that. Still, she saw their dilemma. She couldn’t end Lucifer and Lilith and let Caliban have the throne, no matter how desperately she didn’t want to be queen. There was too much at stake now, all because of her earlier choices. Even Caliban on the throne was a death sentence for those she loved. 

“The other part of you rather enjoys being Queen,” Lilith taunted. “You’ll be hard pressed to get her to give that throne up.” She looked at Nick then. “Nicholas. You look – better.” 

Some of Sabrina’s rage returned. 

“Don’t you dare…” 

Nick put a hand on her to calm her. 

“I am better,” he told Lilith in a cold voice. “And if and when Sabrina decides to end you, I’ll be all too happy to help her.” 

“The residents of Greendale are still as self-righteous as ever,” Lilith quipped, entirely unbothered. “I haven’t the time for your petty threats. I must be getting back to Hell before our dear queen notes my absence.” She looked at Sabrina. “You think I’m ruthless? You haven’t seen her in action.” She met each of their eyes in turn before settling back on Sabrina. “I’ll be calling again. Soon. I’d find a solution to your little dilemma in a hurry if I were you.” 

She was gone in a flash of flames. 

“I hate her!” Sabrina erupted. 

“Sabrina, you have to calm down,” Nick said, pulling her around face him. “You can’t lose control.” She met his eyes. Her chest was heaving, but in his eyes she saw something she could only identify as safety. It centered her, grounded her. “I know you want to go all – Sabrina – and fix everything right this second, but it’s not that simple. You have to calm down before we can do anything.” 

Ambrose watched with interest. He could practically reach out and touch the connection between the two, it was so palpable. He vowed right then that once things were sorted out – he had to believe things would work out if he were to keep going – that he would do everything he could to get Sabrina and Nick back together. He thought, maybe, it wasn’t Nick that needed Sabrina. It was Sabrina that needed Nick. 

“Nicholas is right,” he said, interrupting their moment. “We can’t do anything until you calm down.” 

Sabrina took a few deep breaths, eyes still on Nick’s, then nodded. 

“Okay,” she breathed. “I’m – not calm, but I’m better than I was.” 

“Good.” Ambrose sat down on a barstool. “Because as though this isn’t bad enough, Lilith is also responsible for the Cain Mark on Blackwood. Turns out, she did a complicated bit of magic, got Blackwood to sleep with her while he was housing Lucifer, and in exchange for his – hospitality – split their souls.” 

“She’s responsible for the Terrors too.” Sabrina’s indignation was palpable. “I want to end her, Ambrose. I want her gone.” 

“We’ll have our revenge,” Ambrose promised. “But she’s right – there’s still the matter of Hell to contend with. You have to choose…” 

“I don’t want to be queen.” She was sure of that, down to her very bones, no matter if she was half of herself or not. She knew it to be the utter truth. “I’ll give the crown to Caliban. He’s the lesser of the evil options. Perhaps I can negotiate with him…” 

“You don’t know that you will feel that way when you’re merged,” Nick reminded her. She looked at him again, made sure she held his eyes. 

“I didn’t want to be queen when I rescued you. And I meant that I would give it all up. I was wholly me when I felt that way. Now, after everything I’ve been through since? I mean it more than ever.” 

A pregnant silence covered them. Nick still wasn’t prepared to get his hopes up. Ambrose looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Nick knew what he was asking. He nodded his agreement. 

“There is another option,” Ambrose ventured, afraid of how Sabrina would react when she was already so on edge. “For the throne, that is. Besides Caliban.” 

“Who?” Sabrina asked urgently. “We can’t restore my father to sole power. We won’t survive his punishment.” 

“I’ll take it from here,” Nick said. Sabrina turned to him. He took a deep breath, feeling a certain responsibility to be the one to tell her about their recent discovery. He had said no lies, but he had withheld the truth about Dorian for days now. He knew she wasn’t going to be happy. “Sabrina, Dorian Gray is your half-brother.” 

Shock colored Sabrina’s face. Then she snorted her disbelief. 

“Dorian Gray? Please. There is absolutely no way…” 

“Nicholas is telling the truth,” Ambrose told her. “Prudence was with him when they figured it out. She confirmed his story.” 

“How?” she asked. “How is he my brother?” 

“I came here not long after I found out about you being split in half to look at the portrait. Something about Dorian caught my attention, but I couldn’t figure it out. He wouldn’t talk – you know how he is – so I got Prudence to help me get him out of the bar and I went in search of his portrait – the one he keeps his soul hidden in.” 

“It’s not at the bar,” Sabrina shook her head. 

“It is,” Nick nodded. “It’s hidden by intricate bindings, just there.” He pointed to where it was located, a place that currently appeared as an empty patch of wall. “Dorian’s mother is a fallen angel by the name of Amy. She’s depicted as a male, but it seems that’s not the case. She’s a president of Hell, has hopes of returning to Heaven once her sentence is done.” 

“None of this makes sense,” Sabrina shook her head, refusing to believe it. “Satan, for better or worse, prefers males. He would have jumped at the chance to have a male heir.” 

“Except Dorian is the product of two fallen angels,” Nick explained. “He’s more powerful than even Lucifer when his soul and body are combined. According to Dorian’s soul, he was forced to choose between death and splitting his being in half. He chose the split.” 

It was too much for Sabrina to wrap her head around, so she narrowed in on another detail and chose to focus on it, fair or not. 

“How long have you known?” 

Nick sighed. He saw where this was going. 

“Sabrina…” 

“No,” she shook her head. “You can’t help yourself, can you? You literally cannot tell me the truth. You’re not capable of it.” 

“I wanted to tell you…” 

“Of course you _wanted_ to tell me,” Sabrina cut him off. “You always _want_ to tell me. You had the _best_ of intentions…” 

“I told him not to tell you,” Ambrose broke in. His arms were crossed and he looked stern. “Nicholas came straight to me with the information. He wanted to tell you but was concerned that you would do something abrupt.” He raised an eyebrow. “Which, of course, you probably would.” Sabrina glowered at him. “I advised him to wait to tell you until it made sense.” He spread his hands. “Enter, now.” 

“I really did want to tell you,” Nick said in a timid tone that was so unlike his usual bravado. Even if she didn’t want to, Sabrina heard the desperation there, too, willing her to understand. “Like Ambrose said, we were concerned that you would march down here and do something dangerous.” 

“My entire life is dangerous,” Sabrina spat at him. “You all keep harping on me for the choices I’ve made, but I’ve had entirely too many choices taking away from me.” She narrowed her focus on Nick. “Including how far down the Path of Night I went and whether or not our relationship continued.” 

“We understand that you’ve been manipulated,” Ambrose said. “By _many_ ,” he added pointedly in an effort to remind Sabrina that Nick wasn’t the only one that had pulled her strings. “But this is not the time for you to revisit the past. We have to figure out what’s right in front of us…” 

Nick tuned them out. He felt it. The need for a drink or something stronger was palpable within him, clawing at his insides, demanding his attention. All he had to do was reach to his left. There was a bottle of absinthe _right there,_ bourbon right next to it. If he looked hard enough, he was certain he would find Dorian’s stash of illicit drugs. He could erase everything he was feeling right now within minutes, even if just temporarily, if he just stretched out his hand. 

The panic in his chest rose. His hands started to tremble ever so slightly. 

“I can’t be here.” 

Sabrina and Ambrose abruptly stopped their argument to look at him. Sabrina took in Nick’s paled complexion, the fine sheen of sweat that peppered his forehead. He had a faraway look in his eyes. His breath was short and rapid as he tried and failed to control his breathing. 

“Nicholas?” Ambrose asked, concerned. “Are you alright?” 

“Nick…” 

Sabrina took a step towards him. Nick took a step back. 

“I can’t be here,” he repeated. “I have to… I’ll find you later, Ambrose.” He turned on his heel and rushed for the door. Of course, Sabrina followed. 

“Nick!” 

It was just like in the woods during the Hare Moon. Except this time, when she caught up to him just outside of Dorian’s, there was no rage in his eyes, no anger. There was panic though, fear. She thought this might be worse. 

“Sabrina, don’t,” he warned. “I can’t do this right now.” 

“But Nick…” 

“Sabrina, please,” he cut her off. “Just let me go.” 

“You’re upset…” 

“I’m having a panic attack,” he shot back. “I need to go running. Now.” 

“But…” 

“Dammit, Sabrina!” he snapped, pushing an angry hand through his hair. “I know I messed up. I don’t need reminding of how badly I messed up. I have to live with it every fucking day. I know you’re going through a lot, that you have been through a lot. But so have I. You have no idea how hard every single day is for me. I spend most of my time fighting – fighting my addiction, fighting the thoughts that try to overtake me, fighting time loops, Blackwood,” he paused for a moment, “fighting my feelings for you.” Sabrina’s eyes brimmed with tears. “So forgive me if right now, right after I had to come face-to-face with fucking Lilith and hear you remind me of just some of what I’ve done wrong, isn’t a good time for me to stick around Dorian’s damned bar where the very substances that pull me under are within arm’s reach and hear whatever you have to say.” 

When he turned away this time, she let him go, her tears falling fast and hard. 

“Please, Nick, be careful,” she whispered to his retreating form. “I’m so sorry,” she added, even softer. He disappeared into thin air and she could only hope he went back to the Academy or somewhere else he could find safety. She heaved out a half sob and didn’t bother to try to pull herself together as she re-entered Dorian’s. Ambrose was still on his stool. He looked grave. 

“Nicholas?” he questioned. 

“I can only hope he went for a run,” she answered. She wiped at her tears, guilt gnawing away at her with an urgency she had never felt before. “I want to give up, Ambrose,” she confessed. “I don’t want to fight anymore.” 

Ambrose stood and came to her. He wrapped her in a hug, the first one in months, and let her cry into his chest. He hugged her tight, didn’t bother with soothing words. Sabrina and Nicholas were both suffering and all he could do about it was keep pushing forward, hoping they could both hold themselves together just enough to find themselves on the other side of this debacle and maybe, finally, be allowed to pick up the pieces. When she finally settled down, he pulled away, but kept his hands on her shoulders. 

“You can’t give up, Sabrina,” he said sternly. “Not now. That’s now what Spellmans do.” 

“But I’m not a Spellman,” Sabrina reminded him. “I never was.” 

Ambrose frowned. 

“Of course you’re a Spellman. Perhaps not by blood, but in every single way that matters, you are a Spellman. Myself, the aunties? We love you too much for you to be anything else.” 

“All of this is happening because I’m a Morningstar,” she insisted. “Maybe I should just go down to Hell now, accept my fate…” 

“That’s ridiculous talk,” Ambrose said sternly. “You’ll be killed for sure.” 

“And then the rest of you would be in danger,” Sabrina relented, knowing he was right. “I can’t win.” 

It felt like she was in a small box that was growing smaller by the moment. She was caged in her own prison, one made of her bloodline, something she had no control over. And even in the midst of her own personal reckoning, her thoughts were elsewhere. They were with Nick, worrying about him, wondering if he was okay, knowing he wasn’t. 

“We have to merge the pair you,” Ambrose said with deadly seriousness. “Soon.” 

“What was she like?” Sabrina asked. “The other me?” 

“Awful,” Ambrose answered truthfully. “You’re feeling absolutely everything to the umpteenth degree and she’s feeling nothing at all. She’s so powerful she practically glows with it. I watched her drag no less than three souls with no regards, just in the time I was there. One of them was only guilty of nicking office supplies his entire sixty-year career because he liked the pens his company bought. She cut off his hands and tossed him aside like a bag of potatoes.” 

Sabrina looked horrified. 

“I wouldn’t do that…” 

“You don’t know that,” Ambrose shook his head. “You’re not whole. I imagine you wouldn’t be as awful as one being, but I do think you would have a certain affinity for the power Hell brings you.” Again, he was honest. “It didn’t bring out the best in you to begin with.” 

Sabrina dropped into a nearby chair and covered her face with her hands. 

“I want to give up,” she said again. “I really do. All I have done is cause problems and hurt people. I just want to give up, disappear.” She shook her head. “Except I can’t, because once again, the people I love are in danger because of me.” 

A single tear rolled down her cheek. 

“Nick is mid panic attack and wants to drink again. Because of me.” 

She wanted to break. Shatter. She wanted to simply fall apart. She thought she might even deserve to fall apart. But if she did… She didn’t know who would put her back together. She wasn’t strong enough to do it herself, not anymore. 

“You can’t give up, Sabrina,” Ambrose said again. “We’re close to righting this. I know we are.” She felt like he was lying. Even if he wasn’t, his words didn’t bring her peace. “You may not like to hear this, but I think it’s time we tell the aunties what’s going on.” 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. “Please, Ambrose, no. Zelda will yell. Hilda will worry. I can’t…” 

“Sabrina, we need their help,” Ambrose said gently. “We need Mambo’s help. Lilith knows. The danger has skyrocketed.” 

“We can tell Mambo,” Sabrina tried to negotiate. “Ask her not to tell Zelda…” 

“You know we can’t do that.” 

Sabrina knew he was right. 

“I don’t know if I can handle it,” she confessed. “I’m barely hanging on, Ambrose.” 

“I don’t think you have a choice.” 

Sabrina took a big breath. 

“Okay,” she agreed. “We tell them.” 

Ambrose said nothing, but took her hand and brought her to her feet. He hugged her again, promised her things would be okay once more. They walked all the way back to the mortuary like that, hand-in-hand, him assuring her and reassuring her that there was a way out of this, that her aunts would help. She barely heard him, too lost in her own head, her own worries. He couldn’t stop talking out of nerves. 

Outside of the mortuary, the cousins stopped at the gate for a moment. They looked at each other. Sabrina nodded once, resigned. Ambrose nodded back, a promise to stay by her side. 

Hand-in-hand, they stepped forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unpopular opinion: I've never understood the love of Lilith. I think the actress is phenomenal and that Lilith has some of the best lines. And yeah, she had a pretty crappy hand from Satan. But she did A LOT to our girl, manipulated her, took away some of her choices. If I were Sabrina, I'd want to end her, too. 
> 
> On top of Lilith knowing the truth, you've got Sabrina grappling with all the things, lashing out at Nick because it was something she could control in the moment, Nick fighting his addiction and now who knows where in Greendale doing who knows what, and the aunts are about to find out. 
> 
> We're really getting into the depths of this story now. The next several updates are action-packed. And confession? This one and the next one are two of my favorites. I hope you like them, too. 
> 
> Please let me know what you thought! Still living for your comments in quarantine! xoxo


	12. Chapter Twelve

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved loved loved your thoughts on Lilith last chapter. It seems we're all Michelle Gomez fans - but not so crazy about Part 3 Lilith. 
> 
> Now, how about a long, action-filled update? You're likely only sitting around anyway, am I right? :) Enjoy!

Nick stared at the ceiling. It was pitch black in his room, quiet all around. It was well after the witching hour, but he knew sleep wouldn’t come easily, not even with his nostrils full of lavender, a long run under his belt, and another soak in the tub until the water was cold and his skin shriveled. 

The desire to drink was long gone. It had easily been his longest run to date, but it had done what he needed it to. He had outrun his desire to drink. Now, the guilt had settled in. 

He hadn’t meant to snap at Sabrina. He had no doubts that she came after him to help him. He saw it in her eyes. It was the same look she had the day he had said those awful things to her in the woods. He hadn’t noticed it at the time, too full of alcohol, drugs, pain, and, deep down, shame, to care about anything at all, but he recognized it today, recalled the day of the Hare Moon, her so beautiful, so angelic, in her white dress, when the look had been there too. But in the moment, his only thought was to get as far away from the bar as he could before he did something he would regret. 

He would apologize to her in the morning. First thing. Before breakfast, even, if he could swing it. As much as he didn’t want to talk about – everything – until she was merged into one existence, he would have to broach the topic a bit. 

He was more worried about _her_. She was struggling and she wasn’t talking about it. Not with him, Ambrose, or anyone else. She was a little duller each time he saw her, a little less the small light-filled being that, power or not, radiated brighter than the rest of them. It scared him, to see her crumbling. She was a lot of things, but she didn’t crumble. 

His eyes closed and he willed sleep to come, his mind to shut off for the night. He was nearly there when the pounding at his door began. 

“What…” His eyes blinked open and he pushed himself up on his elbows. 

“Nicholas!” More pounding. “Nicholas! If you’re in there, open up!” 

“Ambrose?” Nick scrambled out of bed, stumbling as he pulled on the pair of jeans he had stripped off earlier in his rush to change into running clothes. He flung open the door to find a wild Ambrose before him. “What in the Heaven is going on?” 

“Is Sabrina here?” 

He was urgent, his face full of fear, eyes wide, breathing heavy. Nick’s heart rate picked up. 

“No,” he shook her head. “I haven’t seen her since Dorian’s.” 

“Fuck!” Ambrose exhaled, dragging a hand down his face. “She’s disappeared, Nick. Right into thin air, it seems. I thought for sure she would be here.” 

“Hell,” Nick said instantly. “She went to Hell.” 

“No,” Ambrose shook his head. “That was the first place I went when we realized she was missing. She’s not there. Her counterpart most certainly is, but she’s not.” 

“Are you sure?” Nick asked. 

“As positive as I can be,” Ambrose confirmed. “Dammit, Nick. We have to find her. She was upset…” 

Nick was already rushing around his room to finish dressing. 

“What happened after I left?” he asked as he struggled into a long sleeve shirt. “How was she?” 

“Not good.” Ambrose was honest. “She was upset, talking about wanting to give up.” Nick cursed. “We told the aunts this evening. That also wasn’t good. There was a lot of yelling from Zelda, fretting from Hilda, and crying from Sabrina. Mambo, too, knows. She had a few choice words herself.” 

“You’ve tried a locator spell?” Nick asked as he pushed into his boots. 

“She’s cloaked herself,” Ambrose confirmed. “To have such little power, she’s certainly done a thorough job of it. Mambo is trying other means of locating her. I came here, Prudence is searching Greendale.” 

“What about Kinkle?” Nick pushed past Ambrose and led the way through the school at a near run. 

“We checked, but it seems they broke up,” Ambrose answered as they thundered down the stairs. 

“They did?” Nick asked, surprised. 

“Yesterday, I think. I didn’t pay much attention to that part. I was already leaving when he tried to tell me all about it.” Nick wondered if there had always been this many damned stairs in the school. He couldn’t think about Harvey right then, not when Sabrina was missing. “Theo nor Roz have seen her either. Hilda called them both.” 

“She wouldn’t go to Roz,” Nick said knowingly. His mind raced, thinking of anywhere she could be. “Dorian’s?” 

“How else do you think I got to Hell?” Ambrose countered. 

“Right,” Nick breathed. “Dammit!” 

For the second time today, panic rose in his chest. This time had nothing to do with a desire to drink and everything to do with fear for Sabrina. Wherever she was, she was upset, weak in power, and likely not all that rational. 

“I glimpsed Hell Sabrina while I was looking for her,” Ambrose continued as they near ran for the door. “Caliban entered her bedroom, but left mere moments later, so I suppose there’s nothing too spectacular going on there.” 

“I don’t give a fuck about some Claymation prince right now,” Nick spat as he burst outside. “We have to find her.” He teleported on the spot and reappeared on the Spellman’s porch. Ambrose appeared at his side just a moment later. Nick didn’t bother with niceties as he burst into the Spellman house. 

“Nicholas!” Hilda rushed for him. “Is she with you?” 

“No,” Nick shook his head. “Tell me what happened. How long has she been missing?” 

“She told us about her ridiculous choice to remain split in half,” Zelda spoke. She stood as imposing as ever, standing in the entry in her standard pose of one arm wrapped around her, the other holding her smoking stick, smoke curling from the lit cigarette. “Once it was discussed, she went upstairs. Ambrose found her missing an hour or so later.” 

“’Discussed’ isn’t exactly the right word,” Ambrose piped up. He glared at his aunt and Nick was sure the conversation hadn’t gone well. “Zelda didn’t mince words with Sabrina.” 

“She can’t keep doing stuff like this!” Zelda erupted. “Utterly ridiculous! Completely irresponsible! Putting her life and ours at risk yet again! And now she goes off and disappears!” 

“Sabrina is barely hanging on,” Nick challenged Zelda. He had no fear of her, not anymore. “She’s in the wrong and she knows it. She’s struggling with what she’s done. We have to find her before she does something else dangerous.” 

He raked a hand through his hair and started pacing. Zelda couldn’t let him have the last word. 

“I have no sympathy for her,” she declared. “She did this. She chose to make these choices and like always, with no regards for what might happen because of them. Now we all suffer the consequences.” She took a long drag of her cigarette as though to emphasize her point. Nick opened his mouth to argue. 

“This isn’t helping,” Hilda said before he could. She wrung out her hands, her worry clear. “We need to find her. That’s the first order of business.” 

“Where’s Mambo?” Ambrose asked. “Any luck from her?” 

“None so far,” Mambo appeared from the parlor. “Her cloaking spell is strong. She may have waning powers, but she also has a strong desire not to be found.” 

The front door opened. They all turned, hoping to see Sabrina. Prudence stepped inside. 

“She’s not at the school,” she greeted them. “I walked through town as well, checked Dr. Cerberus, the theater, even the library, despite the town being closed for the night. No sign of her.” 

“We need to check the woods,” Nick thought out loud. “The clearing, the grounds around the Academy…” 

“Salem is there now,” Hilda told him. “Goodness, I don’t know where else to look…” 

“I’ll continue to try to locate her,” Mambo gave Zelda a comforting squeeze of the shoulder. “I’ll go to her room and try the spell again. It should be stronger there, among her things. I need to find a way around the cloak.” 

An idea hit Nick. 

“The markers.” 

Everyone looked at him. 

“Markers?” Zelda questioned. 

Nick disappeared again, exiting the Spellman home and then teleporting once he could. Once more, he thundered through the Academy, cursing Zelda Spellman in the moment for the necessary security measuring of preventing teleportation directly into the Academy. In his bedroom, he yanked his nightstand drawer open. His hand closed around the marker. He was back at the Spellman’s within minutes. 

“I would have been faster without all the security precautions,” he said, a bit out of breath and unable to resist a dig at Zelda. He wasn’t especially happy with her, was certain whatever had transpired between her and Sabrina was largely the cause of Sabrina’s disappearance. She glared at him, but he found Mambo Marie and held up his marker. 

“That’s how you’re going to find my niece?” Zelda asked before he could explain himself. “With a child’s marker?” 

“Sabrina charmed two markers so we could send each other notes,” he said, ignoring Zelda as he spoke to Mambo. “She has the other one. I doubt she has it with her, but the ink only appears on our skin. If I send her a note, will you be able to track her?” 

“I can,” Mambo nodded. “If those markers still work, I should be able to follow the trail of magic to her.” 

“Okay then.” Nick uncapped the marker. On the palm of his opposite hand, he scrawled out a messy note. 

_Where are you?_

They collectively watched as the ink sunk into Nick’s skin and disappeared. Mambo took his hand in hers and closed her eyes. Warmth worked through Nick as Mambo spoke in a language he couldn’t identify, her voice only just above a whisper. It felt like forever but was no more than a minute and a half before she opened her eyes and released his hand. 

“She’s at the desecrated church,” she told them. “Her energy is very low.” 

Nick looked around. 

“None of you checked there?” he asked in disbelief. 

“No one goes there,” Zelda offered. “It’s a cursed place, if only in memory.” 

“Sabrina goes there,” Prudence spoke up. Nick made a note to ask her why she was at the Spellmans once Sabrina was safe. “I found her there a couple of weeks ago, reading a book.” 

“That’s where she goes to hide,” Nick realized. It made perfect sense to him. He too had gone there in desperation, his motives sinister and driven by the literal devil within. “I’ll go.” 

“We’re all going,” Zelda stated. “All of this folly…” 

“I don’t think that’s wise,” Nick shook his head. “She’s upset…” 

“She’s acting like a child,” Zelda snapped. 

“She’s sixteen,” Hilda reminded her sister. “She is a child, at the end of it all.” 

“You would do well to remember that,” Nick informed Zelda, fully aware that he himself was only a year older than Sabrina. He understood Zelda’s position though. He felt far older than seventeen. He was certain Sabrina felt decades older as well. “Stay here. I’ll bring her home.” 

He went for the door. Zelda made to follow him, but Ambrose stepped in front of her. 

“Let Nicholas go, Auntie,” he said. “For whatever reason, he’s the one that seems to be able to get through to her. When he says he’ll bring her home, he means it.” 

Nick didn’t wait around to see if Zelda stayed or followed. As soon as he was past the Spellman boundary, he teleported to the desecrated church. He entered cautiously. Anxiety heightened within him when he didn’t see her, but she was there. He could feel her. 

His footsteps were quiet as he made his way down the aisle, glancing left and right, checking each row. A few rows from the front, he found her, laying on the pew, curled into a tight ball, awake but in a daze. 

“You’ve got a lot of people looking for you.” 

She lifted her head and looked at him. She didn’t seem surprised to see him. He sat down on the pew next to her, his hands in his jacket pockets. He didn’t say anything, content to wait her out. She blew out a breath and pushed herself upright. They sat an appropriate distance apart, Sabrina’s arms crossed in her lap, both of them radiating caution. 

“How did you find me?” she asked after several minutes of silence. Her voice was hoarse from crying. Nick produced the marker from his pocket. 

“Mambo followed the magic,” he told her. “Your cloaking spell was strong, but as you know, there’s always a loophole with magic.” 

“I didn’t run away…” 

“No one said you did,” Nick countered. “But people who use cloaking spells tend to not want to be found.” 

“Ambrose made me tell my aunts,” she sighed. “They yelled. A lot. Well, Zelda yelled. Hilda clucked and tried to calm her down, tried to calm me down, tried to calm Ambrose down, tell us it was all going to work out… Mambo was there, too. She just sat silent, but you could feel the judgment rolling off her. When she did speak, it wasn’t in my favor.” 

“I probably pissed Zelda off myself,” Nick offered. “I don’t think she’s my biggest fan to begin with, but we exchanged words when I told her to stay behind.” 

“She kept telling me how irresponsible I am,” Sabrina shared. “How I keep putting our family in danger. She went on and on and on…” She blew out a long breath. “I know what I’ve done, Nick. I don’t need anyone to tell me how badly I’ve messed up this time.” 

A single tear rolled down her cheek, her words unintentionally echoing his from earlier. The urge to put his arm around her was strong, but Nick refrained. 

“Zelda may not go about it the right way all the time, but she loves you, Sabrina. You’re like a daughter to her.” 

Sabrina shook her head. 

“I’m not a Spellman.” She sounded heartbroken. “My screwed up parentage is why they have constantly been put in these situation, put into danger. Because of me.” She swallowed hard. More silent tears rolled down her cheeks. “Everyone I have ever cared about has been hurt because of me.” She finally looked at him. “Especially you.” 

Nick’s heart both expanded and squeezed. A whirlwind of thoughts and feelings blew over him, but he fought through the blur to focus on Sabrina. She needed him and he was going to be there for her. It was a chance to show her that he cared, that she could trust him. 

“Is that what’s been going on with you?” he chanced. “Worry about not being a Spellman, of hurting your family?” 

Slowly, Sabrina nodded. 

“Everything that anyone I care about has gone through over the last year comes back to me,” she said in a quiet voice that was so unlike her. She wiped at another tear. “The list is so long I won’t even bother to try to cover it all. Everyone has sacrificed so much for me and I just kept going, kept pushing, kept putting them in danger.” She looked at Nick, her tear-filled brown eyes meeting his concerned ones. “You were right when you said I wasn’t worth it.” 

Anger flew into Nick. At himself, mostly, but at Sabrina, too, for believing such an outright lie about herself. 

“No,” he shook his head, his emotions controlled, his jaw tight. “I was so very wrong when I said that. Of all the things I said and done to you, that is what I regret the most. That’s what I hear in my dreams, me telling you such a horrible thing. Your heartbroken face is what I see when I close my eyes. It was an utter and complete lie and I will regret that the words ever came out of my mouth every single day for the rest of my life.” 

“It was the truth though,” Sabrina insisted. “You should have just let the Dark Lord have me.” 

“And suffer on this plane without you?” Nick countered. “Absolutely not.” 

They were both transported to in the mines in that moment, their thoughts replaying them dressed in their ridiculous costumes, Sabrina offering herself up to hold the Dark Lord, Nick’s bellowed “absolutely not!” drowning out the others’ protests. His “I love you, Spellman. You taught me how to love” moments before he pulled the Dark Lord into himself with no idea of the torture ahead of him. 

“You suffered regardless,” Sabrina nearly whispered. “Because of me.” 

Despite his determination to hold off on anything broaching their past until she was merged, he reached out and grasped her chin with gentle fingers. He turned her head so she had to look at him. He was confident when he spoke, each word specifically chosen and meant just for her. 

“You were worth every sacrifice, Sabrina Spellman.” He held her eyes, watched the tears trickle from hers. “Even knowing what I know now, I would do it again. Without question. Because you are worth it.” A heaving sob erupted from her chest. He didn’t let her go, determined to look her in the eye, to make sure she listened to him. “I didn’t come back here to merge your two halves back together,” he reminded her. “I didn’t know what you had done when I returned to Greendale.” His thumb brushed over her elegant chin. “I came back here to fight for you.” 

Sabrina broke. 

Her tears fell fast and hard as sob after sob worked through her. Her body shook as the emotions tumbled from her. Outside, the moon disappeared as the sun lit up Greendale in the middle of the night. The sunrays made Sabrina cry harder, panic more. They made Nick more steadfast, more determined to be the one that held her up. 

He didn’t hesitate this time to pull her into his arms. She fought against him with weak punches and pushes, resisting the comfort he offered, comfort she didn’t believe she deserved. He held on stronger. He had let her go once. He wouldn’t do it now, not when it was the last thing she needed. 

“Stop,” he directed, his arms locking together around her small frame to hold her to him. “Stop it, Sabrina. I’ve got you.” He pulled her in closer as her resistance began to wane. “I’ve got you.” 

She collapsed against him with one last weak smack and cried into his chest. In that moment, nothing in the past mattered. He was simply Nick, the boy she had loved beyond reason, the boy she had fought for, the boy that made her feel safe. She vaguely wondered if she had ever told him that, that she felt safe with him. She knew others expected her to be strong, to be on the front lines. With Nick, she had always known, even if just in the back of her mind, that he would protect her. He _had_ protected her. 

“Nick,” she squeaked out, searching for words. 

“Shhh,” he hushed. “You don’t have to say anything, Sabrina. Not right now.” 

She burrowed closer. He held her tighter. 

They stayed like that for a long time, the pew uncomfortable, the church cold. The sunlight slowly faded away, the sky returning to the deep shade of night it was supposed to be. When she finally pulled away, night had fully returned and she was, at least outwardly, calmer. 

“I’m sorry.” Her voice was even more hoarse, barely there. “I just… it’s so overwhelming, everything I feel.” 

“You’re feeling everything even more,” Nick reminded her. His shirt was damp from her tears, but he didn’t care. He had gotten to hold her and that was worth everything. He watched as a shiver ran through her. “You’re cold.” He shrugged out of his jacket. 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. “I’m fine…” 

“Don’t say you’re fine when you’re not,” Nick countered as he settled his jacket around her shoulders. “I learned that the hard way.” He watched her pull the jacket around her as though she were trying to disappear into it. She kind of was. It smelled like him. It reminded her of safety, of happier, easier times. She would give anything to get lost in the memories the jacket evoked. Instead, she forced herself to remain present. “Sabrina, I’m sorry about earlier today, at Dorian’s,” he said in a sincere tone. “I was mid-panic attack and when they happen, it’s hard for me to hold onto control.” 

“You don’t need to apologize,” Sabrina shook her head. “You’re okay now though? At least – as much as you can be?” 

“I’m okay,” he assured her. “I went for a long run, took a bath, got myself under control. But I do need to apologize. I yelled at you and you didn’t deserve that, not when you were trying to help me.” 

“It really is okay,” she insisted. “Please, Nick, don’t apologize again.” 

“Okay,” he agreed, choosing to accept her forgiveness because he sensed she needed him to – and he was trying hard to accept forgiveness, even as he searched for a way to forgive himself. “How about you? How are you doing now?” 

Sabrina shook her head. 

“I’m not okay,” she admitted. “I just want to get this over with. I want to end it.” She brushed at a stray tear. “I told Ambrose I want to give up. I really, really want to give up, Nick.” She shook her head. “Except I can’t. If I give up, who knows what would happen to the rest of you? I just don’t know if I have it in me to keep going.” 

It was one of the most honest things she had ever said. Nick’s hand closed around hers. Two large tears fell onto their interlocked hands, one from each of her eyes. 

“You are the strongest person I know, Sabrina,” Nick told her. “I know this is hard right now. But we’re going to find our way out of this.” 

“I don’t want to be queen,” she continued. “I never did. I only wanted you back and I was willing to do whatever it took.” She angrily brushed at her tears, her emotions swirling fast and furious. “I still lost you. I hurt you. I hurt my family. I hurt Roz, Harvey, Theo…” 

“When you’re merged, if you still don’t want to be Queen of Hell, we can make that happen, too,” Nick said, choosing not to focus on what she said about losing him. “But Sabrina? If I can be honest…” She looked at him and nodded, afraid of what he was going to say. “You don’t know that you don’t want to be queen. Perhaps the mortal part of you doesn’t want to be queen, but the celestial half? You may well want it.” 

He prayed she didn’t. He wanted her on earth, with her family, hopefully with him. But the near mortal Sabrina sitting beside him was only half of herself. She didn’t want to be queen now, but there was no guarantee that she wouldn’t want to be when she was her whole self once more and had all of her capacity to make a final decision. 

“Nick, I know I don’t want to be queen,” Sabrina insisted. “I understand what you’re saying, but I know, in the very pit of me that I have to believe is still _me_ , I don’t want to be queen. Now that I know Dorian could be an option… It seems crazy, but maybe, just maybe, we can defeat the Dark Lord for good, stop Lilith, and put Dorian on the throne.” 

“We have to merge you first,” Nick reminded her. “But if that’s what you want when you’re one again, we will make it happen.” He squeezed her hand before he let go. She missed his warmth immediately. “I’ve already found the spell to bring Dorian’s physical body and his soul back together.” 

“Really?” Sabrina sked, the first hint of hopefulness peeking through. 

“It wasn’t hard to fine,” Nick said. “Not in the sanctum. It’s – similar – to what was used to transfer the Dark Lord from me to Blackwood.” 

“Was it painful?” Sabrina asked cautiously. “When Satan was removed from you?” 

“It hurt like heaven,” Nick nodded. “And he was still inside of me, remnants, at least. That hurt, too.” Sabrina closed her eyes. It looked like she was the one in pain now. “But it saved me, Sabrina. When you’re merged, I hope I get the chance to tell you how.” 

“You could tell me now,” Sabrina suggested, wondering how on earth her father’s remnants had supposedly saved him when it had, in fact, nearly destroyed him. Nick shook his head. 

“I’ve been open with you tonight,” he reminded her. “But I still want to save the hard stuff – the important stuff – for _you_.” 

“Okay,” Sabrina agreed. She played with her fingers in her lap, warm in Nick’s jacket. There was something she wanted to ask him about, an idea that she had been turning over in quiet moments, but particularly tonight, while she sat alone in the desecrated church. “You said something when you and Ambrose were questioning me with the truth serum that I’ve been thinking about a lot.” 

“What was that?” he asked, mind already tracking through that particular conversation. He remembered it verbatim, wondered which part had stuck with her. 

“You said Hell brings out worst in me, that it took the dark parts of me and brought them to the surface.” 

“I didn’t mean just you,” Nick clarified. “I meant me too – and anyone else that finds themselves in Hell.” 

“Hell makes us our worst selves,” Sabrina understood. Nick nodded. 

“You saw what it did to me. You told us about the old man who played checkers. I’d guess pride was his sin, the dark mark on his soul. Would you agree?” 

“I suppose,” Sabrina agreed. “Being the best was so important to him he sold his soul.” 

“You ultimately sent him to Heaven, but had you dragged him to Hell, pride would have consumed him. Someone who is greedy in this realm would succumb to it in Hell. You become your own sort of prison, trapped in the sins that marred your soul in your living life.” 

“Power would be mine,” Sabrina recognized. She wondered what Nick’s was, knew he wouldn’t tell her tonight. She hoped he would in the future.

“There’s no denying you’re a powerful witch,” Nick said, careful in how he framed his response when she was so fragile about her bloodline. “You have always wanted control of your power – your power to choose your Dark Baptism, to save your family and friends. To choose the throne. But you have also been through a lot, Sabrina. You grew up believing Edward Spellman was your father. Your identity has been shattered. You spent all that time in Hell… It brought those parts of you to the surface.” 

“I don’t like those parts of me,” Sabrina near whispered. She felt like a psychology experiment, surveying herself from a distance, reviewing her halves and how they responded to the world. There was a lot she didn’t like about herself right now, mortal and witch alike. 

“We all have dark parts,” Nick reminded her. “There are certainly things I don’t like about myself.” 

Sabrina looked at him. She wanted to push, wanted him to tell her what those things were. But he had already told her more than she knew he wanted to. He had already crossed the line he had drawn between them. She couldn’t ask more of him tonight. 

“Once you were out of Hell – and the Dark Lord was truly removed from you – did you start to feel more like yourself?” she asked. 

“Sort of,” Nick nodded. “Eventually. I had to wrestle with the consequences of my actions. I’m still wrestling with them. But the longer I’m removed from it, the more like myself I feel.” 

Sabrina digested the information, noted that he spoke in present tense, that he was likely still sorting through the ramifications of Hell and possession. Before, she might have kept the plan that had pieced itself together in her mind over the last few hours to herself and forged ahead. Now, she felt she truly knew better. And despite the list of reasons she shouldn’t, she trusted Nick. 

“Nick, would it stand up to reason that if we got the other me out of Hell – and kept her out of Hell – she would start to become less power hungry? Maybe more like herself? Or I guess, like me?” 

“Theoretically,” Nick hedged, sensing where Sabrina was going. 

“We have to get her out of Hell, Nick. If we can get her out of Hell, maybe I can reason with her. Or maybe she’ll begin to loosen her grasp on the crown, and I can make her see that we need to be merged.” 

“You’re suggesting kidnapping the Queen of Hell,” Nick stated. “Surely you see the complexities of doing such a thing.” 

“Is it kidnapping when she’s half of yourself?” Sabrina wondered. 

“Lilith is the only one in Hell that knows about the two of you,” Nick reminded her. Still, he saw a hint of the Sabrina he knew so well in those words. “You can’t just go down there, grab her, and come back above ground. People would question her absence. The Dark Lord would come looking for her, and the first place he would check? The Spellman mortuary.” 

“I know it’s insane,” Sabrina admitted. “I just can’t think of anything else to do.” 

“You have to trust us,” Nick said. “Ambrose, myself. Prudence. Now your aunts and Mambo. You like to go all in and try to fix things yourself. You don’t have to do that, Sabrina.” He paused for a moment. “You never have.” 

He wished she could see it right now, how loved she was. By him, surely, but by her aunts, Ambrose. He imagined she felt like an imposter in the Spellman home, perhaps even in the life she had settled into over her nearly seventeen years now that she knew who her real father was. But despite how she felt right now, she wasn’t alone and she certainly wasn’t unloved. 

“It’s really hard for me to sit back and let someone else fix my mistakes,” she told him. 

“I suppose this is a lesson in trust then, isn’t he?” he countered. 

“I guess so,” Sabrina agreed. She stifled a yawn. Nick could see the exhaustion in her, the overwhelming weight of it all. 

“You ready to go home?” he asked. It took Sabrina a long moment to nod ‘yes.’ 

“I don’t want to face my aunts tonight,” she confessed. “I can’t avoid them forever, but if I can wait a few more hours…” She looked at him. “Would you teleport me to my room? I don’t have enough power left to do it myself, between teleporting out earlier and then the cloaking spell.” 

“I’ll escort you home,” Nick assured her. He had always planned to. “But unfortunately, we’ll have to teleport to your gate. There are protections around your house now to keep people from teleporting in, remember?” 

“You’ll be with me,” Sabrina told him. “As long as you’re with a Spellman and they’re willing to have you, you can teleport in and out.” She paused, recognizing the same thing Nick did – she was considered a Spellman, able to teleport in and out of her home. The idea warmed her, just a little. She decided to try to add a little levity to their situation. “Before you ask, I promise to stay put tonight. I won’t go to Hell and try to drag Queen Sabrina out of it.” 

“I’d recommend against it,” Nick agreed as he stood. He offered her his hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. He said the incantation and in a moment, they were in her room, Nick for the first time since before they broke up. It took him by surprise, the way his body both heaved a sigh of relief at being in the space he had once considered his safe place and tensed as memories of both better times and hard times washed through him. He put on a neutral mask for Sabrina’s benefit. “Stay put, Sabrina. But talk to your aunts in the morning. It won’t do any good to fight against them now.” 

Sabrina held her hands up so he could see her fingers. 

“I’ll stay put,” she promised, fingers uncrossed. She shrugged out of his jacket, missing the warmth it provided nearly right away. She held it out to him. “Thank you, Nick. For the jacket, coming to find me.” 

“You’re worth it,” he reminded her as he took the jacket back. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sabrina.” 

“Tomorrow,” she echoed. She found she wanted to wrap her arms around him, hug him tight. She wanted to burrow into his chest. She wanted him to stay. She hugged herself instead. Now wasn’t the time for exploring a reconciliation or the feelings that most certainly hadn’t gone away, even when she wanted them to. “Goodnight, Nick.” 

“Goodnight, Sabrina.” 

She turned to her bathroom. He made to exit, but was slow in his movements. In the hallway, he left the door cracked and listened. Sabrina’s shower turned on, just as he thought it might. He waited another few minutes, until he was sure she was in the shower, then slipped back inside. 

His work was quick as he sealed her room with sigils, meant both to protect her and to keep her from exiting to Hell despite her promise not to. The symbols appeared on her walls, intricate and ancient. He hid them with a wave of his hand. At the door, “meow” sounded behind him. He looked over his shoulder and found Salem perched in the middle of Sabrina’s bed. The familiar caught his eye and gave one single nod of his head. Nick returned it, understanding. 

Salem approved of his work. The familiar used his own magic to close Sabrina’s door, leaving Nick in the hallway, indicating he would take over for the remainder of the night. 

Nick felt ancient as he made his way downstairs. He found the Spellmans, Prudence, and Mambo gathered in the kitchen. 

“Nicholas,” Zelda greeted. “I didn’t hear you come in, so I would assume you teleported, which would mean my niece was with you.” 

“She’s in her room,” Nick confirmed. Zelda pushed back from the table, her intentions clear. “Leave her be, Ms. Spellman.” Protectiveness coursed through his veins. “She needs some time.” 

“Time?” Zelda countered. “Really, Mr. Scratch? She needs _time_? She’s played with time. Time is the last thing she needs…” 

“She’s struggling,” Nick held firm. “She recognizes what she’s done. What you need to understand is that her biggest concern right now isn’t the fact that she’s split in half, but the fact that she’s not a Spellman. She loves you, Zelda. And you, Hilda, Ambrose. But her entire life has been a lie and she feels like she’s put you all through so much for nothing. In her mind, the people she loves have sacrificed, put themselves in danger, all to protect her, when she’s not theirs to protect.” 

“Of course she’s a Spellman,” Hilda piped up. “We raised that girl…” 

“This is utter nonsense,” Zelda added, smoke trailing from her cigarette. “Edward loved that girl. We love that girl…” 

“Sabrina wants to give up,” Nick pressed on. “She wants to quit. She knows she can’t, not with the consequences hanging over her. She feels alone and she’s scared. She understands the gravity of the situation she’s put us all in. She’s also feeling everything ten times more and losing her powers a little more each day. She doesn’t need you yelling at her, Zelda, or you, clucking at her that everything is going to be okay, Hilda.” He looked at Ambrose. There was a dangerous tilt to Nick. No one in the room dared push him too far. His desire to protect Sabrina was palpable. “She doesn’t need you constantly making snide remarks and reminding her how badly she messed up.” 

“Since you seem to know what Sabrina needs, dear Nicholas, please enlighten us as to what we’re supposed to do,” Zelda said. Nick was sure he would pay for his stance against her at some point, but he had housed the Dark Lord. Zelda Spellman didn’t scare him. 

“She needs you,” he answered. “All of you.” He swallowed past a nervous lump in his throat as he prepared to share a little more of himself. “I needed to be alone to work through my stuff. But being alone is the very last thing Sabrina needs, even if she tries to say otherwise. She needs to know she’s loved despite who her true father is, despite what she’s put her family through.” He made sure to look directly at Zelda. “She won’t make it through this if she’s left alone. It’s more than she can bear.” 

A heavy silence fell over the group. 

“She’s in her room, you say?” Hilda asked after several long moments. 

“She is,” Nick confirmed. “She didn’t want to see anyone tonight. I waited in the hall until she was in the shower, then went back in and placed sigils around her room to keep her there. Leave her be tonight. But in the morning? Be there for her.” 

Another long several moments of silence crawled through the room. 

“I suppose we should all turn in,” Zelda eventually said, conceding to Nick. Her cigarette had nearly burned out. “We have plenty to keep us busy in the morning.” 

She was the first to walk away. Hilda trailed off, muttering about turning out lights in the rest of the house. Mambo made to follow Zelda, but she paused when she reached Nick. She put a hand on his wrist and looked at him. 

“You love her,” she observed. “Hold fast, Mr. Scratch. Your desires will come in their time.” 

She left. Nick shifted from one foot to the other, unsettled by her words and how she could see through him, before he looked to Ambrose and Prudence. Ambrose spoke.

“Well, now that everyone is home, I suppose we should…” 

“I need to talk to you,” Nick cut him off. He glanced at Prudence. “Both of you. Let’s go in the study. We can’t let the aunts overhear.” Nick turned on his heel and led the way. Prudence and Ambrose exchanged a look and followed him. 

In the study, Ambrose took his usual seat at the desk. Prudence remained standing nearby. Nick crossed his arms and stood before Ambrose. 

“Sabrina said something that, while completely insane, also makes a whole lot of sense.” 

“Tell us,” Ambrose encouraged. 

“You’ve heard me say it before – Hell brings out the worst parts of you. It made me an addict, caused me to be cruel. Sabrina, for better or worse, has a desire for power. She always has.” 

“Literally always,” Ambrose agreed. “Even as a little thing, she wanted to be the boss, wanted to be first, best, right. We used to fight like cats and dogs over things like who won a foot race, a board game. She always wanted to be the first in line, the first to finish dinner, even.” 

“She’s certainly exhibited her desire for power during her time at the Academy,” Prudence pointed out. “Sometimes rightly so, sometimes not.” 

“Hell brought that desire out in her,” Nick said again. “In the worst way. That’s what it does – it takes the dark parts of you and twists them into the most important part of your being, so it important that nothing will stand in your way to ensure you feel it, that it is the most essential part of your existence. The most well-adjusted person there is could go to Hell and that dormant dark part of their soul would eventually take over. I had the added complication of having the Dark Lord in me, but once I was out of Hell and entirely free of him, I started to come back to myself. Slowly, to be sure, but I did.” 

He still wasn’t quite there. But he felt the difference in himself all the same. He would never be the warlock he was, but he thought, with time, he could be a better version of who he was when he trapped Lucifer inside him. 

“What are you suggesting, Nicholas?” Ambrose was suspicious. 

“We need to get the Queen Sabrina out of Hell. The sooner the better.” 

“You have got to be kidding me,” Prudence stated. 

“This was Sabrina’s idea,” Ambrose guessed. 

“It was,” Nick admitted. “I told her it was insane and it’s a large reason I put the sigils around her room, to stop her from doing it herself. But she’s not wrong. The longer that half of her stays in Hell, the worse this is going to get. Just look at her mortal half. The longer she’s half of herself, the worse things are getting. If we can get her other half out of Hell, she’ll likely start to tone down the power grab. I’d guess having the pair of them together might help them re-balance one another, even. Whether the queen be agreeable to merge or not is anyone’s guess, but mortal Sabrina is not wrong. We need to get the queen above ground.” 

“You want to kidnap the Queen of Hell,” Ambrose said bluntly. 

“That’s the exact phrase I used when Sabrina suggested it,” Nick admitted. “I know what it sounds like, Ambrose. I know it’s one Heaven of a risk. But what else are we going to do?” 

Ambrose rested his elbows on the desk, his head in his hands. Prudence chewed her lip. Nick waited. He knew the absurdity of what he was suggesting. He knew the risks. He also knew it was the right thing to do. He hoped Ambrose would realize it too. 

Finally, Ambrose raised his head to look at Nick. 

“You’re going to do it with or without my blessing, aren’t you?” 

“I’ve been to Hell, Ambrose,” Nick said solemnly. “I know how it works. If there is any hope of getting those two back into one, there will have to be some form of force involved at this point. I don’t know what the logistics of it look like, but I know we have to get the queen up here.” 

“You realize this suggestion of yours would mean going to Hell,” Prudence told him, eyes on him. Nick nodded, not quite able to hide his fear. 

“She’s worth it,” he said, echoing his words from earlier. “I will gladly face Hell again if it means getting her back into one being.” 

“Very well then,” Ambrose nodded once. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was the only plan they had at this point. “We have to kidnap the queen.” He sat back in his chair. “I vote we do it tonight. Now, even.” 

“Now?” Prudence asked incredulously. “Without any sort of plan? You really have been spending too much time around Sabrina.” 

“I was just in Hell,” Ambrose reminded her. “I know where her quarters are, and that she’s tucked into them for the night. There were demons guarding her hallway, but I suppose Nicholas can handle them?” 

“They’ll be demons from the highest order, but I can take care of them.” He had no doubt in himself, in his abilities. He also had no limits as to what he would do when Sabrina was involved. 

“And how do we get the Queen herself out of bed and above ground?” Prudence pressed. She felt like she was the only logical one in the room at the moment. 

“You’re blessed with mind control abilities,” Ambrose reminded him. “You’ll convince her to come along peacefully.” 

“There’s the minor problem that she’s Queen of Hell,” Prudence countered. “I dare say people, namely her father, Satan himself, will notice her absence.” 

“We have her tell someone of some importance – not Lilith or her father – that she’s decided to visit the mortal realm for a few days, spend some time with her family. It’ll still be a stretch, but it will perhaps buy us some time before the Dark Lord comes calling.” 

“The Spellman mortuary will be the first place he looks,” Nick said. “We’ll need a place to hide her.” It made his stomach churn, the idea of holding Sabrina, any form of her, hostage. But they had no choice. “The Academy won’t do, either. It’s another place the Dark Lord will come searching.” 

“I have the perfect place.” Ambrose looked at Prudence who nodded her agreement. He stood. “Come, Nicholas.” 

Together, the threesome trooped up the stairs, past Sabrina’s room and up into the attic. They gathered around a dollhouse that had once been Sabrina’s. 

“Shall we?” Prudence asked. 

In a moment, the three of them were in the dollhouse. Nick looked around, taking in the dated, childish décor. He nodded his approval. 

“This will do,” he said. “My only worry is we don’t have much time. The Dark Lord won’t buy her story but for so long. He’ll suspect something. Should he show up and see the other Sabrina, he would know right away she’s not the girl he’s been grooming to rule his domain. Her hair is a dead giveaway to anyone smart enough to pay attention, but he’ll sense it, sense her lack of power.” It hit him with a thud to his stomach. “Her mortal half will have to be kept here, too.”

“She will,” Ambrose agreed begrudgingly. “She’s going to be furious. They both are.” 

“It’s the only way,” Nick shook his head. “I just wish we had, for lack of a better phrase, more time. We only have a couple of days, at best, before the Dark Lord comes calling.” 

“Well…” Ambrose hedged, suddenly nervous. Nick and Prudence both looked at him. He looked incredibly guilty. “Sabrina may not be the only Spellman keeping a bit of a timing secret.” 

“What have you done, Ambrose?” Prudence’s tone was accusatory. Nick felt similar. 

“King Herod’s crown isn’t the only thing I replicated,” he confessed. “In my spare time, that is to say, when I need a break from time paradoxes and vengeful former high priests intent on destroying our world, I’ve been tinkering with my own time egg.” 

“You re-created Blackwood’s egg?” Nick asked incredulously. He was both impressed and terrified. 

“It’s not remotely as powerful as Blackwood’s egg,” Ambrose defended himself. “Nor does it contain terrors set to destroy our world. But it should be able to speed up time. I started working on it as a last resort solution for Sabrina’s dilemma.” He spread his arms out. “And here we are.” 

“Does it work?” Prudence asked. 

“I’ve done very minor experiments – growing a plant from a seed to a flower, a bird from an egg to a hatchling and then adulthood. It’s worked so far. The lily Hilda has proudly displayed on the windowsill is a result of my efforts. It took just under a day, so not as fast as Blackwood’s egg, but fast nonetheless.” 

“We have no other option,” Nick said. “We have to try it.” 

“We’ll need to distinguish the more mortal Sabrina from the more witchy Sabrina,” Prudence observed. “Assuming they start to become more themselves once together and in the same room as the egg.” 

“I’ll take care of that,” Nick said with a single nod. “I’ll brand her.” He didn’t want to do it, but there was a lot about this situation he didn’t want to do. 

“We still have so many unanswered questions,” Prudence continued. “Like how there are two of her in the first place.” 

It hit Nick like a strike of lightening. It was suddenly as clear as crystal. 

“Dorian.” 

Prudence and Ambrose looked at him. 

“Dorian – either he did it, or he knows who did,” he told them. “He disappeared that day, asked me to watch the bar. He was vague as to where he went. He knows all about Sabrina and her current duality – I’m certain of it.” He shook his head in disbelief. He couldn’t explain how he knew Dorian was the key, but he was sure of his assessment. His instincts had gotten stronger since Hell and he was learning more and more to trust them. “We get Sabrina out of Hell first,” he decided. “Then we question Dorian.” 

“I cannot even begin to follow your line of thinking,” Ambrose confessed. “But fine. Sabrina first, Dorian later. It’s obvious he’s got a bigger connection to all of this than anyone would suspect at surface level.” 

“I’ll go get Sabrina from her bed,” Nick said. “Prudence? Come with me. In case she wakes up and protests.” 

“I’m going to fetch the egg from its hiding place at the Academy,” Ambrose stood. “Meet at Dorian’s in a half hour?” 

Nick’s skin crawled at the thought of going through that portal, but he had to do it. He had to be brave and face his fears. Sabrina needed him and he had let her down far too many times to fail her now. 

“A half hour,” Nick agreed. Ambrose said the incantation to teleport and was gone. Nick and Prudence exited the dollhouse, then the attic. 

“Nicholas, are you sure about this?” Prudence asked. “Going to Hell? Perhaps you should stay up here, let Ambrose and I…” 

“Returning to Hell is the last thing I want to do,” he stopped outside of Sabrina’s door and let Prudence see some of his nerves. “But it’s Sabrina, Prudence. You only know a fraction of what happened between us. I broke her heart, devastated her. She only ever loved me. I sacrificed myself for her, but she sacrificed herself for me, too.” He looked sad. “You didn’t see her earlier. I’ve never seen her like that, so broken. It scared me. She may reject me in the end, but I have to do everything I can to get her back into one being and then tell her – everything.” He blew out another breath. “Even if I don’t end up with her in my arms.” 

Prudence put an uncharacteristically comforting hand on his forearm. 

“You won’t be alone,” she told him. “Ambrose and I will be with you. We won’t let anything happen to you.” Nick nodded. 

“Likewise,” he agreed. The only certainty of their trip into Hell was that they would have each other’s backs. He opened Sabrina’s door and paused in the doorway. She was in bed, sound asleep, the moonlight shining through the big round window behind her bed. Even in her sleep, exhaustion permeated her being. He went to her bedside. Prudence hovered at the door, allowing him the chance to have a moment with Sabrina, even in her sleeping form. 

Nick perched on the side of her bed. He allowed himself the selfish pleasure of running a gentle hand over her hair. She was beautiful, represented everything good and right in his world. He no longer saw the Dark Lord when he looked at her. He saw his way forward, the beacon steering him to safety, if only he could get her to dry land first. He prayed he wouldn’t wake her as he slid his arms under her small form. 

“Hmm,” she hummed in her sleep as he lifted her. She didn’t wake, but she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his neck. Nick dared to think that in her unconscious state, her body was aware of him, that he loved her, represented safety. 

“I have you,” his said so softly he doubted even Sabrina heard him. 

Prudence led the way upstairs and transported them back into the dollhouse. Nick settled Sabrina on one of the twin beds. He unfolded a throw and covered her with it. He leaned over her and whispered an incantation in her ear. 

“A sleeping spell,” Prudence approved. “It’ll keep her from waking while we’re gone.” 

“I’ll have to put sigils on her,” Nick realized. “To keep her from leaving. If I put them on the dollhouse, we won’t be able to get in or out.” 

“We didn’t worry about that when we housed the twins here,” Prudence shared. Nick nodded once, now understanding how Prudence and Ambrose had the dollhouse at the ready. “They were so brainwashed they wouldn’t have tried magic if they wanted to.” 

“We’ll find them, Prudence,” Nick offered, his hand still on Sabrina. He felt the panic bubbling below the surface as the time for him to descend into Hell again rapidly approached. She kept him grounded, focused. Everything he was about to do was for her. “And end Blackwood once and for all.” 

“Is it wrong of me that I don’t care so much about the twins as I do Agatha?” Prudence wondered. “It’s not that I don’t care for them, it’s just that Agatha…” 

“Is all you have left,” Nick understood. “We’ll get her back too, Prudence. You’ll have all of your siblings with you again.” 

“Not all of them,” she reminded him sadly. 

“No,” Nick agreed, thinking of Dorcas. He had never especially liked her, thought of her as cruel and calculating, but Prudence had loved her, and he couldn’t imagine the magnitude of loss she felt. “I suppose not.” 

He focused on Sabrina to give Prudence a moment to compose herself. He tucked her hair behind her ear as she sighed in her sleep, then moved it aside a bit more to reveal a patch of skin behind her ear. His whispered words were intricate, careful. Her soft skin began to sizzle and redden. Slowly, two small, interlocked ‘S’s appeared. Sabrina winced, but didn’t wake, his sleep spell strong. 

“I’m sorry,” he said to her. “I’ll remove it when you’re one again.” 

He wanted to press a kiss to her forehead. He refrained. He wasn’t sure she would want that and he wasn’t going to take advantage of her. 

“S, S,” Prudence observed from over his shoulder. “Sabrina Spellman.” 

“The other one is Sabrina Morningstar,” Nick said. “It makes sense.” 

Prudence took in her oldest friend. She could see it so clearly, how very much Nick loved Sabrina. She regretted meddling now, wondered what would have happened had she not tried to push Sabrina along. She didn’t think her words mattered much in the grand scheme of things, but even still, she felt a sense of guilt for any part she may have played in the end of their relationship. 

“We’ll get her back,” she said echoing his promise. “I daresay _you_ will get her back.” 

“I’m fighting for her,” Nick said. He allowed himself the pleasure of running his fingers through her hair one more time. “I fought for myself for months.” He pursed his lips. “But I’m not myself without her. At least not my best self.” 

He pulled himself away from Sabrina, trusting she was safe in the dollhouse bed. Once more, he and Prudence set off through the house and then outside. They opted to walk to Dorian’s, noting they had time. 

“So, you want to tell me why you were at the Spellmans when they found out Sabrina was missing?” Nick asked Prudence. 

“You’re not the only one fighting for someone you care about,” Prudence said, still not quite able to use the word ‘love’ with Ambrose. “I dropped by under the guise of seeing if Ambrose had any updates on Blackwood. I knew Mambo would be there, too.” She made the choice to confide in Nick, given that he had confided plenty in her. “Nicky, I think Mambo Marie is my mother.” 

Nick looked at her with the surprise she expected. 

“Mambo?” he repeated. “But… How…” 

“I can’t explain it, and I know how crazy it sounds, but from the moment I met her, I just – felt it,” Prudence said. “She wants Blackwood dead nearly as badly as I do. I’m certain she’s hiding something. Blackwood said my mother drowned herself, but there was no body, no proof. I was told she washed away and they never recovered her. Who’s to say that wasn’t all a lie?” 

“Crazier things have happened,” Nick mused. “And Blackwood isn’t known for being good or noble.” 

“I want to ask her,” Prudence admitted. “But this isn’t the time. We need to fix Sabrina and stop Blackwood first.” 

“I’ll help you,” Nick promised. “Whatever you need.” 

“Thank you, Nicky.” She smiled. “That goes for you, too.” 

Nick nodded as Dorian’s came into view. 

“You’re already helping me, Prudence,” he said. Ambrose materialized ahead of them and Nick knew the time to enter Hell was near. He took a deep breath, with no idea of the serendipity of the words he was about mutter. “Let’s go to Hell and get my girlfriend back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few of you commented on how mature Nick seems - YES. He's accepting that he'll never be the person he was before Hell, but he's trying to become a better version. It's really starting to surface now. 
> 
> Yes, he's going back to Hell. And yes, he's about to come face-to-face with Hell Sabrina. He's the one making some wild calls now and we'll all have to wait and see how the dice fall on this one.
> 
> And I do love a good Nick/Zelda showdown. I'd love to see that happen on the show. I really think he could go toe-to-toe with her. 
> 
> Then there's that tiny bit about Mambo... 
> 
> Please let me know your thoughts! I continue to live for your comments, especially during this quarantine situation! Stay well! XOXO


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shall we bring the queen into this?

Nick could hear his heart thundering in his ears as he stood before the portrait that would take them to Hell. He barely registered Prudence and Ambrose going over their hastily concocted plan. He focused on his breathing, on staying calm. He closed his eyes and conjured a vision of Sabrina behind his eyelids. He nodded once to himself, reminded himself that she was the reason he was doing this, that this time was different, that he wasn’t alone. He exhaled and opened his eyes. Prudence and Ambrose were looking at him with concern. 

“Nicholas, are you sure about this?” Ambrose asked with a sense of authority. “I recognize that we’re asking a lot of you…” 

“You’re not asking me,” Nick shook his head. “This was my idea, remember? Well, it was Sabrina’s suggestion, but it was my idea to follow through.” 

“All the same…” 

“I’m doing this, Ambrose,” Nick cut him off. “I have to.” 

“Are you certain, Nicky?” Prudence pushed. 

“This isn’t up for debate,” Nick said sternly, growing agitated at their questioning, even if it were coming from a genuine place of worry. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m doing this. We all are.” Ambrose nodded. 

“Okay,” he agreed, knowing there would be no changing Nick’s mind. “Remember, the both of you, that we’re in this together. It’s all three of us or nothing.” 

“We get the queen and get out,” Prudence stated. 

Nick said nothing. He rolled his shoulders back and blew out one more breath to focus himself. With a final glance his way, Ambrose faced the portrait. 

Later, if asked about the journey through the portal and into Pandemonium, Nick wouldn’t be able to recall a single detail. He didn’t allow himself to take in any details, to acknowledge anything going on in his peripheral vision, to even hear the sounds echoing around him. He focused instead on Ambrose who led the way, Prudence who hovered at his side, on his mission to get the queen Sabrina above ground and out of this forsaken place. They made it all the way to the end of the hall that housed her quarters before Nick was called to action. 

“Nicholas,” Ambrose said in a low voice as he peered around a corner, the three of them pressed against a stone wall in a dark cavern. “Demons. Guards.” 

Nick slipped around Ambrose so he could look for himself. There were two demons, his theory that they would be of the highest order proving true. A strange confidence settled into his chest. He had no doubt in his ability to banish the demons before him. He exhaled another breath and stepped out of their hiding place. 

The demons never stood a chance. 

His magic was swift and certain. The demons didn’t just disappear, they disintegrated, destroyed. He was barely winded when it was over. 

“Unholy shit,” Ambrose breathed. “Nicholas, that was impressive.” 

“They’re just demons,” he shook his head, he himself believing the task to be elementary at best. He knew he was skilled in demonology and his time in Hell had brought him intimate knowledge of its workings, demons included. “We have to keep moving. They’re gone, but I don’t doubt that their absence will be noted sooner rather than later.” 

“Right,” Ambrose agreed. “She’s this way.” 

He led them down the hallway. 

“Is it suspicious that the queen’s chambers are so poorly guarded?” Prudence wondered. 

“No,” Nick shook his head. “She’s the Queen of Hell. She doesn’t need heavy guards. She’s already in Hell, for one, but there are very few that would dare cross her. Her powers are extraordinary and this version of her has no mercy. She’s her own weapon. Those two demons weren’t exactly garden gnomes, either.” 

“I’ll take your word for it,” Prudence quipped, disbelief clear. 

“He’s right,” Ambrose echoed. “She’s queen. She’s her own security system.” He led them to a thick wooden door. “She’s here.” 

“And do we – knock?” Prudence asked, this time with skepticism. Not for the first time, she wondered why she agreed to it. But she knew why. Ambrose and Nick would go with or without her and she couldn’t stand even the idea of something happening to someone else she cared about.

“No.” 

Ambrose pulled a hairpin from his pocket. 

“You’re going to pick the lock,” Nick observed. 

“Magic is great and all, but sometimes the most mortal methods work best. Sabrina taught me that.” He was quick in his work. The lock clicked within moments and Ambrose pushed the door open. 

If Sabrina Spellman’s bedroom was warm and inviting, Sabrina Morningstar’s was cold and grand. Only the finest silk linens surrounded her, all heavy reds and golds. The furniture, too, was gilded gold and of the highest quality, no doubt poached from a soul banished for their crimes. An elaborate gown hung on a rack nearby, waiting for its queen to wake. Her crown was perched on her vanity. Nick resisted the urge to smash it. 

“Sabrina,” Ambrose announced, “time to wake up.” He clapped his hands and the torches around her room erupted into light. The queen stirred. 

“Lilith?” she asked sleepily as she pushed herself upright. “What is the meaning of this? You don’t wake me…” She stopped mid-sentence as her eyes registered her visitors. “Ambrose.” She looked surprised. Her eyes moved. “Prudence.” Her eyes grew bigger as they moved on. Nick clenched his jaw and held her eyes with his own when she finally met his and the shock was apparent. “Nicholas.” 

This Sabrina, he realized, held her father. She radiated power. She always had, but this was different. This half of her practically shook with the celestial blood in her veins, the blood that made her into this version of herself, this power hungry and dangerous woman. Her hair was whiter than he had ever seen it, nearly devoid of any pigmentation. Still, he wasn’t afraid of her. She reminded him of her father, but she was still _her_. He couldn’t explain it, couldn’t put words to it, but he knew, underneath the buzz of her magic and the high and mighty tilt to her chin, she was _her._

And he was going to take her home. 

“Your highness,” Nick greeted. He gave a bow of his head but didn’t take his eyes off of her. Something flickered through her features, but before he could define it, it was gone. 

“What are the three of you doing here?” She tossed her blankets back and got to her feet, her fine silk gown leaving little to the imagination. This version, Nick cataloged, had embraced her sexuality. Despite his mission, a fleeting selfish hope that she hadn’t given herself to Caliban – or anyone else – passed through his mind. “How did you get here?” 

“We’re here to take you home, whether you want to come or not,” Ambrose said frankly. “As for how we got here, your portrait portal still works quite well.” 

Sabrina scoffed. 

“You’re threatening to kidnap me. I’m Queen of Hell. This _is_ my home. You have no authority…” 

“This was your doppelganger above ground’s idea,” Nick piped up. Sabrina again looked surprised. “You’ll have to take this intrusion up with her, Your Unholiness.” 

“Doppelganger?” She feigned ignorance. “What are you talking about?” 

“Save it, Sabrina,” Ambrose stated. “We’re all fully aware of your duality. We’re here to put a stop to it.” 

“No,” she shook her head. “You will not…” 

“You’re going to go tell your father you’re going above ground for a few days,” Prudence interrupted, stepping in front of Ambrose. 

“Tell her father?” Nick asked. 

“That’s not the plan,” Ambrose shook his head. “Prudence…” 

Prudence ignored them. 

“You’re to tell them you’re leaving immediately. You have received word that Faustus Blackwood has released the Eldritch Terrors upon Greendale and you want the opportunity to be the one that brings him to your father as a symbol of your allegiance to this throne. You will sell it with your usual self-righteous attitude, show no signs of being under my influence, and won’t reveal we’re here. You will make him agree, make him allow you to leave, to trust you to function above ground. You will convince him to allow you to go alone, no guards, no check in visits. Promise him you will bring him Blackwood within the week. Bid him farewell and return here where you will leave with us to return to Greendale. Speak to no one else. Look to no one else. Not even Lilith. Only your father. Understood?” 

“Yes,” Sabrina nodded. 

It was strange for Nick and Ambrose, to watch Sabrina so willing submit to someone’s will when they were so used to her doing exactly what she wanted. Prudence gave an approving nod of her head. 

“Good.” She looked down her nose at Sabrina. “And for Hell’s sake, put on a robe. You look like a harlot.” 

Sabrina glared at her but did what she was told. She slipped on a robe and cinched it around her waist on her way out the door. As soon as she was out of the room, Nick and Ambrose rounded on her. 

“What in the Heaven was that, Prudence?” Nick demanded. “We agreed…” 

“You sent her right into the belly of the beast,” Ambrose said at the same time. “The actual literal beast…” 

“Shut up, the both of you,” Prudence hissed. “You keep making this racket and you’ll draw attention to our presence.” They both stopped talking, aware that she was right, but they glared at her, expecting answers. “I went off script,” she agreed. “But it occurred to me when she rose from that bed looking nothing like herself that she has the power to convince her father to leave her be. He’ll enjoy the idea of her trying to prove herself worthy of her queendom and allow her to go above ground to run her usual amuck. It will amuse him and the thought of her bringing Blackwood to him will intrigue him. It’s a better story coming from her as she is now. One ‘I’m of to visit my aunties’ and he’ll be on to her for sure.”

“If this fails…” Nick warned. 

“It won’t,” Prudence assured him. She took in Nick’s sharp jaw, the way he held himself, tense and ready for a fight. “I don’t think Sabrina is the dangerous one here. You, Nicky, are wound so tightly one could bounce a quarter off you.” 

“I’m in Hell,” he reminded her with sharp tone. “And you saw Sabrina.” 

“We all need to calm down,” Ambrose took his turn as being the rational one. “The most important thing right now is to get her – and us – above ground safely.” 

Nick blew out a breath and again tuned Prudence and Ambrose out. He had gotten good at that, at going to a place within himself when things started to feel out of control. He had discovered this place slowly but surely, thought of it as his own sort of oasis, but not the kind mortals would call a vacation. It was neutral ground, a place where his mind could stand still, calm his constant storm of thoughts, and respond to whatever he was processing. 

He was in Hell. Once more, for Sabrina. He again reminded himself that he couldn’t allow his life to revolve around her, that she was his moon, not his sun, but even so, she was still the center of his concerns right now. He felt a fierce protectiveness over the more mortal her that was sleeping soundly under his spell in the dollhouse. The few moments he had spent with the Hell half of her made him feel an odd sort of mix of both protecting her and challenging her. He had seen what happened in the moment he called her “Your majesty,” that faint flicker that left so fast. It had stirred something in her. She was still there, deep down. 

He would bring them back into one. 

“Done.” Sabrina reappeared, bringing him back to himself and the others’ worried eyes away from him. He wasn’t sure how long it had been, but she looked annoyed. “My father thinks I’m going to Greendale to bring down Blackwood. I still don’t know how the three of you think you’re going to get away with this…” 

Her eyes settled on Nick as she spoke. He didn’t back down. He had always challenged Sabrina, questioned her even when supporting her. He sensed this version of her needed that more than ever. 

“Don’t underestimate what desperation will make someone capable of,” he told her. She didn’t reply, but turned her head slightly, jutting her chin out in a silent show of defiance. “Let’s go. I’ve been in this Heaven forsaken place long enough.” 

He didn’t wait for Ambrose or Prudence. He stepped forward and took Sabrina by the elbow. She tried to pull away. He held on, again relying on his instincts to tell him what to do. He hadn’t taken the time to explore it or figure out why, but his gut feelings, his ability to just know what to do, had gotten stronger since his time in Hell. He couldn’t question it now. He could only lean into it and hope it kept steering him right. 

“Let me go,” she demanded. 

“No.” 

“Let me go!” She pulled harder. 

“No.” Nick tightened his grip on her elbow. “I came down here to get you. I’m not leaving without you and I’m not staying a moment longer.” 

“You shouldn’t have come,” Sabrina informed him. “None of you should have. I’m the Queen of Hell. Do you realize what I could do to you?” 

“You won’t do it though,” Nick shot back. Her eyes burned into his. “You’re only half yourself, but you’ve still got just enough of your humanity to give a damn about us.” She tried to pull away again. He resisted. He would never be this rough with her or any other woman, but again, his instincts pushed him on. She needed a strong hand and he knew in his very soul that she would respond to him. “I came to Hell, Sabrina.” She stopped struggling as his words landed the way he wanted them to. “You know this is the very last place I want to be.” 

“Why?” she demanded. She had stopped resisting, but she was still willing to fight. “Why are _you_ here?” 

He knew what to say. 

“Because you – the whole you – is worth it.” 

Her eyes went big. He let her go, sure her last stand of resistance was over. He didn’t say anything further. He turned away from her, closing himself off to her. He felt her eyes on him but refused to give her the satisfaction of turning back to her. 

“I should have been more clear,” Prudence broke the tension. “You will come back to Greendale with us peacefully, Sabrina. Peacefully, being the key word there.” 

“This won’t work,” the queen stated. “Whatever you’re plotting, it won’t work. I am the _Queen of Hell._ You can’t just come down here and force me…” 

“You can’t just split yourself in half, but you did anyway, didn’t you?” Ambrose retorted. “Come along, Sabrina. We’re going home.” 

He led them out the door. Nick followed him, refused to look back. Prudence gave Sabrina a little push towards the door. Sabrina glared at her, but under Prudence’s influence, followed Nick and Ambrose. 

For Nick, the journey out of Hell felt twice as long as their trip to Sabrina’s quarters. There were no more demons, no new threats, but the safety of Dorian’s portrait felt infinitely far away. It was all he could do not to push past Ambrose to be the first through the exit when it finally appeared. He climbed though the porch and the wall of fresh air, of safety, hit him hard. He inhaled with gusto. 

“Well, I’m here,” Sabrina stated as soon as she stepped into Dorian’s. “What are you all planning to do with me now?” 

“May I suggest a muzzle?” Prudence supplied. 

“Shut up, Prudence,” Sabrina snapped. 

“We’re going to the mortuary,” Ambrose said with far more patience than he felt. “Where you will hopefully become at least a slightly less awful version of yourself.” 

“I hate you,” Sabrina spat at him. Nick tensed, recalling the moment he sent that same phrase at her. In that moment, he had meant it with everything in him. And yet he hadn’t meant it at all. 

“I’m not your biggest fan either,” Ambrose retorted, undeterred. “Come along, now. We’ll get you all settled in.” 

The queen did not go quietly. She kept up a tirade of all the reasons why they wouldn’t be able to hold her hostage, of how the Dark Lord would realize she was being kept against her will and punish them all. 

“He is all knowing,” Sabrina reminded them as the mortuary came into view, even if she wasn’t entirely sure that was true. He certainly knew enough, but she didn’t believe him to be omniscient, no matter how hard he tried to be. If he were, he would have seen through her ages ago. “He’ll figure out you made me lie and are keeping me as a prisoner. He’ll make all of you pay…” 

Nick couldn’t take it anymore. 

“Sabrina, shut up,” he snapped. She stopped walking and whirled to face him, all fire and fury. He wasn’t fazed. “Just – shut up. However this may turn out, you’re at our mercy right now and I think I speak for all of us when I say we’re tired of hearing you tell us how your sorry excuse of a father will do us all in the moment he realizes you’re being held captive.” 

“I would think you would know better than anyone what it’s like to be punished by my father,” she retorted with no remorse at all. Nick didn’t let her words hurt him the way they would have once upon a time. It wasn’t really her anyway. 

“He can’t hurt me any more than he already has,” he said in an even tone. Again, he saw that brief flicker of something cross Sabrina’s features, only for it to disappear just as quickly. Ambrose and Prudence stood shoulder to shoulder nearby, ready to act if needed. “And you’re forgetting one very important fact. If Dark Lord comes in search of you, he finds not one of you, but two. How do you think Daddy Dearest would respond to that?” 

He waited for her answer. None came as she glowered at him. He nodded once. 

“Not so high and mighty now, are you, Your Majesty? And for the record? The Dark Lord is most certainly not omniscient.” He looked her dead in the eye. “I would know.” 

She continued to glower at him. Her jaw worked as though she were trying to form a response, but her words failed. Nick turned on his heel and continued towards the mortuary, leaving them no other choice but to follow. 

“Wait,” Ambrose spoke up at the foot of the mortuary’s porch stairs. “We can’t just walk in. If we wake the aunts…” 

“You’re going to have to tell your aunts,” Prudence said. “You can’t keep both of her here without their knowledge. Particularly as they’re used to having at least one Sabrina appearing at the breakfast table.” 

“I’ll tell them,” Ambrose nodded. “In the morning. I’d rather have her situated now.” 

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here,” Sabrina spoke up. 

“You’re not,” Nick couldn’t help himself, eyes on her. “Whoever the Heaven you are right now is most certainly not you.” 

Yet again, she glared at him, but didn’t say anything further. Still, he could see it. He saw parts of her he loved in each half. The mortal half of her was where her feelings and self-righteousness lived. The witch or celestial half of her housed her power, her fearlessness. When she was one and the best parts of each half of her were allowed to shine through, she was a force. Perfection, at least to him. But in two halves, one half weakened while the other grew ever more powerful, she wasn’t _her._

“Let’s teleport to the attic,” Ambrose suggested. “Get her settled in. We’ll go from there.” 

“Settled in?” Sabrina asked. “In the attic? I will be sleeping in my room, thank you.” 

“You’re going to be an utter pain my ass,” Ambrose stated. “Come along.” He grabbed her hand and Prudence’s and gave Nick just enough time to grab Prudence’s hand before he said the incantation. They were in the attic in the moment and, thanks to Prudence, in the dollhouse a moment after that. 

“Where are we?” Sabrina demanded. Her power radiated from her in a dangerous sort of way, reminding them she could turn on them at any moment. Nick wasn’t concerned, however. He stood by his earlier statement that there was enough humanity left in her to not hurt them. “What is this place?” 

“Your old dollhouse,” Ambrose answered. “Or, as you can call it for now, home.” 

She narrowed her eyes and opened her mouth. Nick’s sleeping spell was fast and powerful. She was asleep before she fell into his arms. 

“I couldn’t take it anymore,” he said by way of explanation. 

“You beat me to it,” Prudence agreed, arms crossed. 

“Put her in the other bed,” Ambrose nodded. “Make sure she’ll stay there.” 

He stood next to Prudence as they watched Nick bind Sabrina with a series of sigils to keep her within the dollhouse and from doing magic. He didn’t feel the same urge to hover over her the way he had with her counterpart, but he still felt some semblance of affection as he pushed her hair back. This time, an ‘S’ and an ‘M’ appeared. ‘Sabrina Morningstar.’ He pulled the blanket around her before he stepped back. 

“That should do it.” 

They surveyed the scene. One Sabrina in each of the twin beds, identical save for their hair. Both fair in complexion, one’s makeup washed away by her earlier tears on a lonely pew in the desecrated church, one’s makeup wiped away by handmaids in her elaborate chambers. 

Sabrina Spellman. 

Sabrina Morningstar. 

Who they would be when they merged into one was anyone’s guess. 

“We’ll need to take turns staying with them,” Ambrose broke the silence. “Neither will be thrilled when they wake up and find themselves essentially a prisoner.” 

“I’ll take first watch,” Nick said without hesitation. 

“No,” Ambrose shook his head. “I will. Go back to the Academy, Nicholas. Try to get some rest, give your mind a bit of a break.” 

“I’m fine…” 

“He’s right, Nicky,” Prudence broke in. “You’ve done enough tonight.” 

He didn’t want to agree. He wanted to stay there, watch over the Sabrinas asleep before him, vow to not leave their sides until they were one again. But he reminded himself that he couldn’t do that, that he had to take care of himself too, had to trust others. And he felt, deep down, the need to put some space between him and the Sabrinas for at least a little while to save his own sanity and process what he had just done. He would be of more use to her if he left. 

“Fine,” he sighed. “If anything happens…” 

“I’ll summon you,” Ambrose nodded. “Prudence will take the next shift. You come tomorrow afternoon.” 

“I’ll escort you back to the Academy,” Prudence stepped forward. 

“I don’t need to be babysat,” Nick snapped. 

“I’m going there anyway,” she reminded him. She didn’t give him a chance to protest. She put her hand on his shoulder and took them out of the dollhouse. They were quiet until they were safely through the Spellman gate. 

“Mind if we walk back?” Nick asked. “I could use the fresh air.” 

“Me too,” Prudence agreed. They set off, Prudence with her arms wrapped around her, Nick’s hands in his pockets. She shifted her eyes his way. “You know I have to ask, Nicky. Are you okay?” 

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “A few months ago, I couldn’t have done that. It wasn’t exactly easy now, but I don’t want to drink, so there’s that.” In truth, he was too tired to drink. “I’ll get a few hours of sleep, then head back to the sanctum, see if I can find…” 

“Nicholas, I know you want to help her,” Prudence cut in. “But you have to take care of yourself, too.” 

“You didn’t see her tonight, Prudence,” Nick shook his head. “The more mortal half of her – Sabrina Spellman. You didn’t see the way she broke. I know what it’s like, to feel that hopeless. While I did everything I could to push away anyone who cared about me, she’s turning in on herself, allowing herself to believe she’s a burden.” He swallowed down the sudden lump that formed in his throat. “To believe the things I said to her.” 

“What did you say to her?” Prudence asked carefully. “What exactly happened between the pair of you? One moment she was practically glued to you, the next you were trying to tell me you were just friends.” 

“I lashed out at her.” Nick hadn’t told anyone what exactly had happened between him and Sabrina, allowing plenty to be inferred, given that he hadn’t been secretive about his substance abuse and Dorian had a big mouth. Now felt like a good time to start talking and in Prudence, he had someone who wouldn’t judge him nor share his secrets, not after suffering her own losses and heartache. “The day of the Hare Moon, she caught me with the sex demons. I was fighting to hold onto my sanity, knew I was making awful decisions.” Nick exhaled as he shook his head in dismay. “She was shocked when she found me. Heartbroken. I cleaned myself up and showed up at the ceremony, hoping that maybe I could pull it together and try to make things right with her. I didn’t want to hurt her, hated that I already had. I wanted to fix it, fix us. But then everything happened with the pagans and I snapped. I said things to her in those woods that I can never take back., Prudence. Awful things. Things she believes to be true.” 

“Oh Nicky,” Prudence sighed. Despite her own struggles at the time, she still felt a pang of guilt for not noticing how badly one of her oldest friends was hurting. 

“I lost it after that. I freed the Dark Lord and filled my system with so many drugs, drugs he gave me, that I still don’t know how I survived.” He squeezed his eyes shut briefly as though trying to push away the memory. “Still, she was there, and she tried to help me. When I came to, chained up and finally free of the Dark Lord…” he shook his head again, shame filling him. “I couldn’t face what I’d done to her. As messed up as I was from what happened in Hell, it was the hurt I caused her that did me in. It was the final blow.” 

“I’m sorry for what you went through, Nicholas,” Prudence offered. “I don’t know that my words mean much…” 

“They don’t,” Nick interjected. “I know you mean well, but what I went through…” He shook his head. “I don’t ever want to talk about it again. Except I’ll have to. At least with Sabrina, should I ever stand another chance with her.” 

“I don’t really understand what’s going on with her,” Prudence admitted. “There’s the time paradox, but she’s just so – different.” 

“It’s Hell,” Nick said. “It’s Hell and it’s her dual nature. Her Morningstar half – the Queen of Hell – has all of her power, all of her fearlessness. Her Spellman half has all of her feelings, her desire to protect her family. It’s her best parts, the parts that make her _her_ , taking over and overwhelming each half of her.” 

“You just – understand her,” Prudence observed. 

“I went to Hell,” Nick reminded Prudence. “I suffered the consequences. For better or worse, I can relate to her in a way the rest of you can’t.” 

“You love her in a way the others don’t,” Prudence accurately stated. 

“I’d like to think I do,” Nick confessed, feeling as vulnerable as he ever had. “It might not be enough in the end.” Gehenna Station appeared before them. “But I’m not willing to back out now.” He tried to push his hands deeper into his pockets. “Sometimes I wonder if I backed out too soon.” 

He used to be sure he had done the right thing, walking away from Sabrina. He needed to figure himself out, try to find his footing again. He couldn’t change his choices, but as he stood on the other side of them, he couldn’t help but think of the what ifs. What if he had stayed? Let her into his pain, allowed her to hold his hand the way she had wanted to? 

He had no idea if it would have made a difference, for either of them. 

“You’ll be okay?” Prudence asked as they made to go their separate ways. 

“I’ll make it,” Nick nodded. He studied her in turn. “How about you? You went to Hell tonight, too. Then there’s the whole Mambo bit, not to mention Ambrose…” 

“I’ll make it,” Prudence echoed with a small, sad smile. “We always do, don’t we?” 

“I suppose we do,” Nick nodded. “Somehow.” 

With weary steps, they turned and went their opposite ways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nick gets Sabrina. Mortal and Hell alike, he just knows her. And Hell Sabrina is A LOT. She's going to be fun these next few updates... 
> 
> But I'm also here for the Prudence and Nick friendship. The more I write it, the more I'm like "yeah, I like them as besties." I also kind of love writing Prudence. This is the first time I've really featured her in a piece and I'm a fan. 
> 
> I hope you liked this trip back to Hell. Now the two are together and living in the dollhouse. What could possibly go wrong? 
> 
> Please share your thoughts - comments are the best during quarantine! XOXO


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Sabrinas are together. And now - they interact. This is a bit of a transition piece, but I hope there are still a few juicy nuggets in there... It's sorta like those cartoons where the angel is one shoulder, the devil on the other...

Sabrina Spellman blinked her eyes open and stretched her arms overhead. As her senses shook off the sleep, it occurred to her that her sheets were different. They were pink, not as soft, lacked her lavender scent. She frowned, rolled onto her back, and lifted her head from the too thin pillow.

“What the Heaven?”

She pushed herself upright on her elbows for a better look. There was something vaguely familiar about her surroundings and yet she couldn’t place them. She looked to her left and had just enough time to register someone in another bed before a familiar voice filled the air.

“Remind me to never let Nicholas put me in a sleeping spell.” She looked right and found Ambrose perched in a chair, his feet kicked up on an old wooden desk. He tossed aside the magazine he had been browsing and sat up straight. “You’ve been asleep for hours – and your counterpart has yet to stir, not that I’m complaining.”

“My counterpart?” Sabrina whipped her head around to the other bed and gasped. “Is that…”

“Your Hell-bound half? It is.”

Sabrina stared at him.

“How…”

“Nicholas.”

Sabrina frowned deeper and looked back at the sleeping form in the other bed. She was confused. The last thing she remembered was crawling into her bed, her body weary, her emotions completely spent. She remembered Nick showing up at the desecrated church and crying into his chest, him teleporting back her back to her room. She had no idea how she had ended up – wherever she was – with her other half, let alone how the Queen of Hell herself was present.

“But… How…”

“Nick told us your idea about bringing the Hell Sabrina back to earth in an effort to tamper her power surge,” Ambrose caught her up. “We hastily made a plan, went to Hell, and kidnapped her.” Sabrina looked dumbfounded.

“She’s… I’m… How? Why? And where in the Heaven am I?”

“Remember that old dollhouse you got for your birthday when you were six?” Sabrina nodded suspiciously. Ambrose held up his hands. “Welcome home, cousin.”

Sabrina looked around, the memory falling into place. She had been over the moon to bound down the stairs on the morning of her sixth birthday to find the dollhouse waiting for her on the kitchen table, surrounded by blueberry pancakes, a mound of bacon, and all the maple syrup her heart desired. She and Hilda had spent hours decorating it, building the small pieces of furniture and deciding on its placement. Hilda had even made tiny drapes and linens for the house. Somewhere in the mortuary, likely in the back of a closet or perhaps in storage in the basement, were the miniature porcelain figurines she had spent her childhood making up stories about. The little glass family had an intricate family history, big plans for their future. As she’d gotten older and became friends with Roz, Theo, and Harvey, she had slowly forgotten the house and the family that lived within it. She didn’t even remember it being moved to the attic.

“I’m inside my dollhouse.”

“Correct.”

Wonder at that thought was replaced by something else. She looked back to Ambrose with a panicked expression.

“Ambrose, I didn’t help bring her back, did I?”

“No,” Ambrose shook his head. Sabrina looked relieved.

“I thought, maybe, I had,” she confessed. “And that I’d forgotten.” She blew out a breath, head spinning as she tried to absorb the new information. “I have been better at remembering or not predicting future events or whatever. But I thought, maybe, somehow…”

“That’s true about your memory,” Ambrose realized. “You haven’t made any predictions or forgotten anything in a while, at least not that I know of.” He filed the information away to review later. “Are you hungry? You’re not leaving this dollhouse for the foreseeable future, but I’ll fetch you some food.”

“I’m not hungry,” Sabrina shook her head. She glanced at her sleeping form again. Without warning, the air was knocked out of her. She practically fell out of bed in her rush to turn back to Ambrose. “Nick!”

“Nick?” Ambrose questioned. “He’s at the Academy…”

“No, Nick,” Sabrina shook her head, rushing to explain. “Hell. You said ‘we’ went to Hell. Please, Ambrose, tell me he didn’t…”

“He did,” Ambrose said solemnly. The color drained from Sabrina’s already pale features.

“No,” she insisted. “No. He didn’t…”

“He did,” Ambrose repeated. “It was his idea. Technically yours, it seems, but he thought it was a good one. We’re hoping he’s right.”

“You let him go to Hell?” Sabrina demanded, indignation rising. “Ambrose! That was the last thing Nick needed…”

Her fierce protectiveness over Nick came out of nowhere.

“He insisted,” Ambrose tried. “Prudence and I tried to talk him down…”

“How is he?” Sabrina threw her blankets back as though she intended to go somewhere. “Is he okay? He’s not at Dorian’s is he? Not that he needs to be to get his hands on alcohol or drugs or…” She was on her feet now. Her frown deepened. “How do I get out of here?”

“You’re not,” Ambrose said simply. “We kidnapped the Queen of Hell, remember? We had her deliver a slightly believable story to the Dark Lord, but it’s only a matter of time – no pun intended this time – until he realizes it was a lie and comes looking for her, or, rather, you. He would know right away there was something going on if he was met by your half of you.”

Sabrina wasn’t deterred.

“I am leaving,” she stated, hands on her hips. “I have to check on Nick.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” Ambrose shook his head. “Nicholas saw to that himself. To ease your mind, he’s fine. I’ve spoken with him this morning and Prudence brought word as well. He will be here this for his turn to stand guard this evening.”

“You can’t just hold me hostage…”

‘You can’t just split yourself in half, but you did,” Ambrose shrugged.

“Technically, I didn’t split us in half. Neither did she.” She jabbed at her doppelganger. “We don’t know how two of me appeared.”

“The sentiment remains,” Ambrose said flatly. “Sit down, cousin. I’ll fill you in on what’s happened since Nicholas brought you home last night.”

It took a stare down, but she eventually perched on the edge of the bed and listened as Ambrose recounted what had transpired and their hopes that once together, the pair would become more like themselves and be more amendable to merging. Sabrina was appropriately humbled by the time he finished explaining his replica egg and how they hoped it would speed up the process.

“You three did all of that in just a few hours – for me?” she asked when he was finished.

“I suppose a bit for the livelihood of mankind, but yes, for you,” Ambrose nodded. Sabrina shook her head.

“You shouldn’t have, Ambrose. None of you should be involved in this. You should let me…”

“Flail around and try to figure it out for yourself?” Ambrose interjected. “No can do, Sabrina.” He leveled his eyes on her, deciding to share a bit more with her more mortal side about what had happened the night before while Sabrina Morningstar slept off Nick’s spell. “Once Nicholas got you back here, he came downstairs and absolutely silenced Zelda with his defense of you. Do you know how hard that is, to shut her up? He did it, with words alone.”

“What do you mean?” Sabrina asked slowly.

“You’re not alone, Sabrina. We love you – you are every bit as much of a Spellman as I am, or Zelda and Hilda are. You have so many people who love you, Nicholas included. Yes, you have caused utter chaos more times than I can count, but you are our family and we will do anything for you.”

Unwillingly, tears filled Sabrina’s eyes. She blinked them away.

“I make messes, Ambrose,” she said quietly. “I hurt the people I love.”

“You’ve made mistakes,” Ambrose agreed. “But we all have. None of us have been perfect. Well, except Hilda, and even she killed someone.” A ghost of a smile crossed Sabrina’s lips. “We’re family in every single way that matters. We will figure this out and we will come out on the other side of it.” He chanced a hint of a half-smile. “I daresay you’ve learned a thing or two from all of this.”

“To say the least,” Sabrina sighed. Once more, her emotions had swung to that dark place. She felt as though she were on a rollercoaster that she couldn’t get off of. One moment she felt like herself, the next she was plummeting down a hill, her emotions wild and out of control. “You’re sure Nick is okay?”

“I don’t know if he’s okay, per se,” Ambrose chanced. “I believe he’s still wrestling with a lot. But he’s in a better place than he was when he left here a few months ago, and he’s determined to help you.” He could see Sabrina’s conflict, her guilt. She had never been good at hiding her feelings and she wore them plainly now.

“You and him both are always on me about doing dangerous, rash things, and yet that’s exactly what the three of you did last night,” she said.

“True,” Ambrose admitted. “But it had to be done, Sabrina. If we hadn’t done it, you would have done it yourself and I think three against Hell is better than one.”

“Four would have been even better,” Sabrina pointed out.

“Not in this case,” Ambrose shook his head. He didn’t bother to explain more, but he was firmly in the camp that they had made the right decisions the previous night. He had another point he wanted to make, however. “When all of this is said and done, I pray our timeline remains intact and that you remember all the ways in which Nicholas has shown up for you these last several weeks, particularly last night. Before, during, and after our adventure to Hell.”

A single tear rolled down Sabrina’s cheek.

“Me too.” She left it there, but she thought back to the previous night, the way Nick had held her while she cried, comforted her, and, it seemed, fought for her when she was sequestered away safely in her bedroom. There was an ocean of hurt between them, neither of them innocent, but she couldn’t deny that she still felt something for him. She couldn’t focus on that right now though. “What happens now?”

“Now, we wait for her to wake up,” Ambrose nodded towards Sabrina Morningstar. “I imagine she won’t be peaceful about it. She wasn’t exactly pleasant last night, so I expect her to wake up in quite the temper. Then, once she’s thrown her tantrum, we let things shake out as they may, at least for a bit. We’re all hopeful our plan will work out in the minimal time we have.”

“You said Nick saw to it that I can’t leave,” Sabrina said, trying to process everything. “What did he do?”

“He placed all sorts of sigils and bindings on you. You’re trapped here until one of us sees fit to allow you outside of it.”

“And the aunts? Do they know about this?”

“They will,” Ambrose shrugged. “I plan to tell them shortly. Prudence is coming soon to relieve me. Filling in the aunts is my first order of business before I check in with Mambo on the hunt for Blackwood.”

“That’s my punishment,” Sabrina decided. “Leaving me alone with Prudence.”

“She’ll play nicely,” Ambrose said with little confidence. He chanced a half smile. “She’s trying desperately to get back into my good graces. Surely she’ll be friendly towards my favorite cousin”

“And is it working, Prudence trying to get back into your good graces?”

Ambrose shrugged a single shoulder.

“Time will tell.”

Sabrina looked around, cataloging her surroundings. When she was a child, this was the house of her dreams. Now, it felt like the prison it was.

“What am I supposed to do while I’m in here?” she wondered. “There isn’t exactly a plethora of things to do in an antique doll house, particularly when one’s magic has been taken, both by her own choices and by her ex-boyfriend.”

“I imagine you’ll spend a lot of time talking or reasoning with her,” Ambrose tilted his head towards Sabrina Morningstar. “But I’ll bring you books, puzzles, things like that. And there’s a TV set, a record player. We’ll keep you entertained.”

“How long will I be in here?”

“We won’t be able to keep you here long,” Ambrose admitted. “The Dark Lord will grow suspicious and come calling, remember? That’s why we have the egg.”

“We’re once again racing against time,” Sabrina sighed. “To echo you, no pun intended.”

“Funny how many puns can be made a time like this,” Ambrose quipped. Sabrina glared. He chuckled despite the situation. “Otherwise, how are you feeling?”

“How am I feeling?” Sabrina repeated with a raised eyebrow.

“Yesterday was a lot,” Ambrose reminded her. “And then you woke up to find yourself in a dollhouse with the other half of you. You can’t be okay.”

Sabrina didn’t answer right away. The true answer to his question was a loaded gun. She took a big breath and exhaled.

“I’m not okay,” she said. “Can we just leave it at that? Please?”

Ambrose looked ready to push the point, but then thought better of it. He nodded.

“Okay,” he agreed. “I’m here though, Sabrina, should you want to talk.”

“I know,” she nodded. She did know that. He had proven that he was there for her over and over again. She looked back at her sleeping Hell-bound self. “I’m going to make this right, Ambrose.”

“We’re going to help you,” he replied with a certain sternness. Sabrina could only nod. With a heavy sigh, she laid back down on her bed.

“I think I’ll go back to sleep,” she said, suddenly exhausted by the sheer volume of information her brain was now trying to process. “Nothing else to do, right?”

“Guess not,” Ambrose agreed, his concern for her growing as he watched her disappear back into her blanks, Nick’s warning that she wasn’t coping on top of his own experience with her breaking down at Dorian’s echoing through his thoughts. “Sleep well, cousin. I’ll be here when you wake up.”

Her eyes were already closed.

* * *

Sabrina Morningstar studied the sleeping figure in the bed next to hers. She wanted to poke her, shake her awake. She was bored, for one, but she had a slew of questions for her counterpart. She was just about to say to Heaven with it and wake her when Sabrina Spellman stirred.

“About damned time,” the queen announced. Sabrina pushed herself up to her elbows as she had earlier and glared.

“Hello to you, too,” she retorted.

“You’ve been asleep forever,” the queen informed her. “I’ve had no one to talk to except for Prudence.”

Sabrina looked around for the formidable witch. The room was empty.

“Where is she?”

The other Sabrina shrugged.

“No idea. She left in a huff, said she was tired of my questions and complaining. But I think I have a right to complain, don’t you?”

“Not really.” Sabrina sat up in bed and stretched her arms over her head. “We got ourselves into this mess…”

“What mess?” the queen interrupted. “Everything is fine…”

“Everything is most certainly not fine,” Sabrina countered. “You’re growing ever more powerful while I’m growing more and more mortal. I feel everything – _everything_ – and you feel nothing. Never mind all the odd stuff that’s happened because of our split. Add in the fact that Blackwood is out there somewhere biding his time to unleash whatever his terrors are and no, things are definitely not fine.”

“You’re overreacting…”

“You haven’t had anything odd happen in Hell?” Sabrina pushed. “No – clocks stopping or forgetting things?”

She watched the other Sabrina consider her as she thought about the question. It was weird, to see herself sitting across from her. Queen Sabrina’s hair was so white it was devoid of color. She reached up and played with her own ever more golden locks.

“I perhaps may have forgotten a few things,” the queen finally answered casually. “But that’s to be expected, isn’t it? I’m learning how to be a queen. There’s a lot of information coming my way.” She looked defiant.

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. “That’s you, losing yourself a little more each day. Except while I’m becoming more and more mortal and feel everything to the Nth degree, you’re growing more and more powerful and feeling nothing at all.”

The queen raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

“I suppose I win, don’t I? I’d rather be powerful than mortal.”

Sabrina Spellman shook her head with a sense of sadness and a resignation that getting the queen half of her to agree to merge was going to be difficult.

“Neither of us wins. We’re only us when we’re – us.”

“You sound like one of those after school specials that come on after Hilda’s soap operas,” the queen stated. She crinkled her nose as a thought occurred to her. “I haven’t thought about Hilda in – a while.”

“Time works different in Hell.” Sabrina’s eyes widened at the realization that that was true – time didn’t work the same way in Hell. “Time works different in Hell.”

“It’s shorter,” the queen shrugged. “Or longer. I don’t know. It all feels the same.”

Sabrina pondered on the thought, on what it could mean. Something nagged at the back of her mind, but she couldn’t make sense of it, whatever it was. It felt like it was in a hidden place, trying to crawl out, but slipping back into its hole every time it got close to the surface. She glanced around, half expecting Nick to appear with the answers, or at least an idea to find them. He didn’t, but she willed him to, wished she had her marker with her to summon him. He would be able to talk through this, make sense of it.

Thinking of him acted as a key of sorts, the memory skyrocketing from its recesses.

“Time moves faster there,” she declared. “Nick was there for a month, but he said it felt like decades.” She chewed her lip in thought. “That could either help us or hurt us…” She looked at counterpart, perched in a stately position on the side of her bed, recognizing another fact, grateful her brain was starting to work again, to think of anything besides the trouble she had caused her family. “You said you hadn’t thought of Hilda in a while.”

“I’ve been busy,” the queen said again. Sabrina thought she didn’t sound quite convinced.

“You’ve forgotten her,” Sabrina accused. “And I’d bet the rest of our family, too.”

“I haven’t forgotten them,” the queen insisted. “I knew exactly who Ambrose was. Prudence and Nick too, for that matter.”

“Perhaps you remember them,” Sabrina amended. “But tell me, do you _feel_ anything for them?”

The queen opened her mouth but closed it almost as quickly. Sabrina knew, because she knew herself, that Sabrina Morningstar felt nothing for her family. Not anymore. The thought was terrifying.

“Of course I feel…”

“Save it,” Sabrina stopped her. “You feel nothing. Meanwhile, I’m here, feeling lonely because Hilda is off with Cee, Zelda is all large and in charge, and Ambrose is annoyed at me more often than not. Never mind the drama with Harvey, Nick, my friends…”

“You’re lonely?” the queen countered with a scoff. “Try being Queen of Hell.”

Sabrina frowned.

“Why would the queen be lonely? You’ve got the entirety of the kingdom at your beck and call and dare I say it, our father’s full attention.”

A haunted expression ghosted over the queen’s pale face. It disappeared almost right away.

“No one wants to be friends with the queen,” she said in a detached sort of tone. “But that’s okay. Queens aren’t supposed to have friends.”

“Queens aren’t supposed to cry,” Sabrina replied, sensing a crack in Sabrina Morningstar’s Hell-forged armor. She decided to chink away at the opening. “I would bet there is a lot queens aren’t supposed to do.”

“And things they’re supposed to do,” the queen countered.

“Such as?” Sabrina pushed.

The queen considered Sabrina. Sabrina returned her gaze with an expectant one of her own.

“According to Lilith, I’m supposed to produce an heir.”

Sabrina’s eyes grew wide.

“You’re – we’re – sixteen!”

“As though that matters in Hell,” the queen shrugged. “The Dark Lord hasn’t broached the topic yet, but he did free Caliban and pardoned him. The belief is that he done that for my benefit. Whether it’s actually a benefit or not, I don’t know.”

“Are you and Caliban…?”

Sabrina prayed the answer was ‘no.’ Even the idea of the queen with Caliban felt like a betrayal. Of herself, to be sure but also of – Nick.

She pushed that thought away for now.

“No,” the queen shook her head. “I mean, we have this thing where he shows up at my bedroom every night and we make out for a few minutes, but the moment he tries to do anything aside from kiss me, I send him away.” She shifted uncomfortably. “I want him. I’m not going to lie. But there’s something deep down inside of me that won’t let me follow through.”

Sabrina blew out a long breath of relief. She didn’t like the queen’s answer, exactly, but it was better than what she was expecting. She could cope with the queen half of herself having some sort of physical relationship with Caliban, so long as it wasn’t intimate.

“Maybe you do feel something,” she pondered to herself.

“What about you?” the queen pushed. “Have you taken Nicholas back yet?”

“I was with Harvey, actually,” Sabrina shared. The queen made a face. She tried to cover it, but Sabrina had already seen it. “What?” she demanded. “What’s so wrong with Harvey?”

“Nothing, per se,” the queen shrugged. “He’s just – Harvey.”

“Explain.”

The queen sighed dramatically.

“He was your – my? Our? – first love. And he was a wonderful first love. But do you honestly think he’s ‘the one’ after everything we’ve learned over the last year?”

“I’ve recognized than he’s not,” Sabrina admitted. “I broke up with him. Turns out, that candle spell was nothing more than child’s play anyway, so I’ve gotten to feel all of that with Harvey, plus everything with Nicholas, too.”

“Of course that candle spell was child’s play,” the queen scoffed. “You didn’t really think it would be that easy to turn off your feelings, did you?”

Sabrina’s confusion continued to grow. She tried to remind herself she really was talking to half of herself. It was bizarre, to hear herself reflect some of her inner feelings back to her. It really was like being part of a psychological experiment. The powerful part of her sat across from her, telling her her darkest thoughts, the things she had always known deep down in a matter of fact and almost hurtful sort of way. She herself felt fragile, weak. She was emotionally exhausted. She wanted nothing more than to curl back up under her blanket and go back to sleep to avoid it all.

She couldn’t, though. She and the figure across from her had created this mess. They had to correct it. She couldn’t hide, even if she wanted to.

“The candle spell was a rash decision,” Sabrina admitted. “Like a lot of the things we’ve done.”

“We have only ever done what needs to be done,” the queen stated. “We’ve only ever been persecuted for who we are. First, it was because everyone thought we were Edward Spellman’s daughter and then because the Dark Lord – our real father – had a sinister plan to bring us to Hell.”

“Perhaps,” Sabrina agreed. “But we dragged our family and friends into the fray. We made the people who love us risk – everything.”

Again, she thought of Nick.

“They could have said no at any point.”

“You don’t get it,” Sabrina shook her head. She was starting to understand it for herself. Her family, her friends, they loved her. They loved her enough to do whatever it took to save her. Eve if it ruined them in the end.

“No, you don’t get it,” the queen countered, pulling her out of her revelry. “We did what we had to do. Our aunts, Ambrose, our friends, Nick… None of them _had_ to get involved. They made the choice to help.”

It was the other half of herself talking, the half that did believe those who got involved in her messes did so of their own choosing.

“They helped us because they love us.” Sabrina made a face. “Or they love me. Or… You… This is – confusing.”

“Tell me about it.” The queen got up and started to pace the room. “They realize they can’t hold us in here forever, right? Our father will figure out something is wrong, for one. But us together? We can certainly overpower them. We might not have our magic, thanks to Nicholas, but we can still overpower them if we work together.”

“Why would we do that?” Sabrina asked. “Overpower them, I mean? I don’t like being stuck in here either, but it’s for our own good.”

“Why _wouldn’t_ we overpower them?” the queen countered. “We can bust out of here, I can go back to Hell, you can…” The queen stopped and considered her. “I don’t know what you’ll do, given you’re becoming mortal and all, but I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“We’re going to stay here until you agree to merge back together,” Sabrina informed her with more assertiveness than she felt. “We have to figure this out. We can’t let this keep going.”

“You’ve lost your mind.”

“No, you’ve lost yours,” Sabrina informed her. “We both lost our minds when we decided together that this was a good idea.”

The two Sabrinas stared one another down. It was the queen that finally broke.

“Want to play cards?” she asked. Sabrina frowned.

“What?”

The queen picked up a deck of cards from a side table.

“Cards,” she repeated. “Prudence was playing solitaire when I woke up.” She smirked. “I obviously interrupted her game.” She came to Sabrina and perched on her bed. “Name the game.” Sabrina stared at her in surprise. They had been arguing not thirty seconds ago and now the queen wanted to play cards. “Seriously. What else are we going to do? Pick a game, or I will.”

“Gin rummy,” Sabrina said automatically.

“Zelda’s favorite,” the queen nodded once. “I’ll deal.”

She began shuffling the cards. Sabrina looked on.

This was, easily, the strangest moment of her life so far.

And that was saying something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's tricky to write the two Sabrinas being so not Sabrina. But I sense a bit of a connection between them all the same. It's like they're looking into a mirror quite literally. The queen is all "I do what I want and DUH that spell didn't work" while the other Sabrina is all "we need to merge and I really thought the candle would work..." 
> 
> I mean, Sabrina dropped a tear during that Spell. I don't buy for a second that it worked. But I didn't write Part 4 either. Anyway. 
> 
> They really are the "angel" and the "devil" in this form, aren't they? 
> 
> Next update? Nick turns up. He got a bit of a break this update, but he's the star of the show in the next one. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought! (Kind of sorry I didn't throw in Prudence and the Queen having it out, but they're not done yet, either...)


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you're ready for a lot of Nick being Nick... Also, I was pleasantly surprised by all of your comments last chapter. The love for Sabrina and Ambrose is real, I tell you.

The Spellman mortuary loomed ahead of him. Nick made no effort to hurry, despite his knowledge that Prudence was more than ready for a changing of the guard. Ambrose had told him the mortal Sabrina was subdued, worried, upset. Prudence had sent word that the queen was high strung, demanding, and difficult. He was both filled with curiosity about what he would find and dreading coming face-to-face with both of them at once.

While he hadn’t wanted to leave them the night before, once he was back in his room and his adrenaline waned, the magnitude of what he had been through over the last day hit him full force. He had briefly considered going for a run despite the late hour but had ultimately ended up taking a long hot shower and making himself a weak sleeping tea. Weak so he could rest but still be roused should Ambrose or Prudence come calling. He had still struggled to fall asleep.

After a graceful but restless few hours of sleep, he had spent some time in the sanctum. His research was starting to feel in vain, but it was something he could do when he felt like he couldn’t do anything else. He had gone for a short run before leaving the Academy on foot for his turn to watch over the dual Sabrinas in an effort to mitigate any anxiety or desire to turn to substances. Whether it would work was anyone’s guess as his anxiety started to creep upward with each step towards the house.

The sight of a figure loitering several yards from the Spellman gate caught his eye. He frowned, surprised to see her there. She was oblivious to him as he approached, arms crossed over her chest, body full of tension as she stared up at the house. He could tell she was deep in thought.

“Roz.”

She startled and spun to face Nick.

“Nick!” She exhaled. “You scared me!”

“You were in your own world.” He watched her curiously, taken in the genuine surprise in her features of finding him behind her. He imagined he looked just as surprised by her presence. “I wasn’t exactly quiet, walking up the path.”

“I was – lost in thought.”

Nick kept his eyes on her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked. “Loitering outside the Spellmans, staring up their house…”

Roz sighed.

“Is Sabrina okay?” she asked, aware that Nick would know it was highly unusual to find her there these days. “Hilda called last night, looking for her. She said Sabrina was missing and I was worried…”

Nick could see it. Roz was torn, concerned about Sabrina, not sure what her place was, still hurt by her once best friend’s actions yet worried for her all the same. While he wasn’t surprised Harvey hadn’t figured out something was wrong with Sabrina, he refused believe Roz was completely oblivious, and not just because she was generally more intelligent than most of the mortals their age.

“She’s home,” he told her. Relief filled Roz’s features. “Mambo Marie helped us locate her. I brought her back here.”

“You said you brought her home,” Roz said, sharp as ever. “You didn’t say if she was okay…”

Nick sighed and decided to try out honesty with the mortal before him. She, too, had risked her life for him in Hell, after all. And she had been through her fair share of ups and downs these last few months as well.

“Roz, surely you know that Sabrina isn’t Sabrina. You’re too smart to miss that, with or without your cunning.”

It was as though a mask slipped from Roz’s face. He knew he had guessed right.

“I’ve – seen things,” she admitted. “At first, I was too mad at Sabrina to allow her space in my thoughts, cunning or otherwise. I just didn’t care what she was doing, so long as she stayed away from me. But as the weeks have passed,” she shrugged a bit, “I’m still mad at her, but my visions are persistent. They don’t make much sense, but I can’t ignore them anymore. When Hilda called last night…”

She trailed off, but her concern was noted.

“What do you see, Roz?” Nick prompted. “What is the cunning showing you?”

“It doesn’t make sense…”

“Trust me, nothing makes a lot of sense right now,” he said with a hint of urgency. “What do you see? It could be important.”

“I see Sabrina, but she’s different. Sometimes she’s all powerful. She’s ruling over Hell with an iron fist. She’s almost scary. She’s so unlike her, so full of venom and brimstone. Other times, I see her the exact opposite. Weak, sad.” She paused. “Defeated.” She shook her head as though trying to remove a bad memory. “Sabrina is a lot of things, but weak isn’t one of them.”

Nick’s heart twisted. Sabrina certainly wasn’t weak, but she had been last night. Seeing her like that, curled into herself in the desecrated church and then sobbing into his chest had shaken him to his very soul. It wasn’t right. She wasn’t _Sabrina._ It was hard, seeing the strong, proud witch he knew slipping further away, drawing more into herself each day while another half of her was doing things the true Sabrina would never dream of. Her righteousness wouldn’t stand for it.

“Roz, Sabrina did something,” he began, glancing towards the house as though expecting someone – a Sabrina, perhaps – to erupt from it and stop him from telling the truth. “When you’re seeing two of her? It’s because there really are two of her.” Roz’s eyes widened. “It’s complicated, but she needs our help right now.”

“How are there two of her?” Roz wondered. “Did she do that mandrake spell again?”

“I wish,” Nick sighed. “It’s a long story, Roz. The shortest version I can tell you is that she’s been split into her two beings. The longer she stays in half, the more mortal and all-feeling one half becomes and the more powerful and nonfeeling the other becomes. We don’t know how two halves came to be, but she saved the world.” He didn’t bother to explain the pagans or the time loop. He didn’t have time. “But instead of merging like she was supposed to, she…”

“Stayed in two,” Roz finished. She knew her former best friend well. “One of her has been living as Sabrina Spellman, the other as Sabrina Morningstar.”

“Exactly,” Nick nodded. “Again, long story, but Ambrose, Prudence, and I managed to get the Morningstar half out of Hell last night with the hope that if we can get her away from that place and back with the more mortal Sabrina, they’ll start to become more like themselves and agree to merge.”

“Wow…” Roz looked surprised, confused. Nick couldn’t blame her. They all felt that way.

“I have to go,” he apologized. “I know I just dropped a lot on you, but it’s my turn to watch over them. But Roz, if your visions show you anything – anything at all – please, tell me. If you can’t find me, find Ambrose or Prudence. As soon as you can.”

“She’s in a lot of trouble, isn’t she?” Roz asked nervously. Nick nodded.

“Yeah,” he admitted, “she is. But we’re going to get her out of this.” He held Roz’s eyes. “When she’s whole again, she’s going to need her friends. I know she did something terrible to you. I know she hurt you. But when Sabrina is _Sabrina_ , she would never do that. You know that.” He managed a hint of a half-smile. “You showed up here to check on her, despite it all. That alone tells me you know Sabrina’s struggling, that she’s not herself.”

A heavy silence passed between them. Roz studied the house, lost in thought. Nick waited for her to say something, anything. Finally, she looked back to him.

“You really do love her.”

“More than I can ever explain,” Nick confirmed. “I’ve got a lot to apologize for and if I get the chance when she’s one again, I will. Until then, I need to focus on getting her back to one being.”

“You’ll get your chance,” Roz confirmed. She chanced a small smile of her own. “Trust me.”

“I should get inside,” Nick said, not daring to question what Roz meant. “Like I said, it’s my turn to babysit and Prudence isn’t going to wait much longer for me to turn up. Just – remember what I said, okay? Sabrina needs her friends. And I don’t mean in a needs help getting her boyfriend out of Hell or finding a kidnapped child that’s being held hostage as payment to the Dark Lord sort of way.”

“I’ll take it under advisement,” Roz said. She glanced back at the Spellman house. “I’m glad she’s okay.”

“She’s not okay,” Nick shook his head. “But she’s home, and that’s enough for now.”

They parted ways. Nick let himself in as quietly as he could, hoping he wouldn’t run into an aunt. Luck wasn’t on his side.

“Ah, Nicholas.” Zelda floated down the hallway. “Your turn to take watch, I presume?”

“Ambrose filled you in,” he replied.

“He did.” Her tone reeked of disapproval. “I’ve half a mind to lock the lot of you up in that dollhouse. Never have I known a group of young witches and warlocks more adept at getting themselves in over their heads…”

“You do that, you would have to deal with all of this on your own,” Nick said. “I don’t think Sabrina is the only one that doesn’t want the Dark Lord appearing on the Spellman doorstep.”

Zelda narrowed her eyes but didn’t disagree.

“Go play house,” she sniffed. “Try to figure this mess out soon, won’t you? We do have Blackwood to attend to after all.”

She breezed past him and out the door, the scent of cigarette smoke in her wake. Nick shook his head and climbed the stairs. In the attic, he performed the spell to transport him into the dollhouse. He appeared in the living room where Prudence had informed him she would be eagerly awaiting his arrival.

“Thank Hecate,” she tossed aside a dated magazine. “I’ve had it with your girlfriends.”

“They aren’t my girlfriend,” Nick shook his head. In their two halves, he was seeing the worst of Sabrina, parts of her he knew existed, but that were generally over shone by the best she had to offer. One of her was power hungry, emotionless. The other half was weakening, losing herself to a dark place in her own mind. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, determined to focus on what was right in front of him for now. “Shouldn’t you be watching the pair of them? I trust my bindings, but those two – at least in their full form – have been known to find their way out of far trickier situations.”

Prudence didn’t answer him. Instead, she picked up a remote control. The small television set which had been playing a re-run of an old sitcom flipped to a stream from the bedroom holding the two Sabrinas. They were perched on a bed, playing cards.

“They’ve been playing cards for hours,” Prudence shared. “When the Hellbound one wasn’t barking at me, of course. The mortal one hasn’t exactly been quiet, but she has been more subdued, when she wasn’t napping. How the Heaven the other one didn’t wake her up during her tirade is beyond me.”

“How are they together?” Nick wondered.

“Oh, they had a touching moment of bonding over their lonely lives,” Prudence said in a bored sort of tone. “It was all very after school special.” She pushed herself to standing. “And I’ve had enough. I’m going literally anywhere else. Ambrose will relieve you in a few hours.”

“He can take his time,” Nick replied. Prudence studied him. He waited.

“You okay, Nicky?” she inquired.

“That’s the third time you’ve asked me that today.” She had checked in with him first thing that morning, and then again before she left to relieve Ambrose.

“You went back to Hell last night,” Prudence countered. “After a not easy day that involved a runaway Sabrina. There are two Sabrinas just upstairs. All of that – it’s a lot, Nicky. If you’re not okay…”

Nick sighed and wondered if there would ever be a point in which he wasn’t consistently questioned as to whether he was okay or not.

“I’m fine, Prudence…” She raised an eyebrow. “Maybe not fine,” he amended, “but my head is clear and my focus is on getting the two Sabrinas upstairs back as one being. I’ll take on whatever comes after that once they are back together.”

“If you need someone to talk to…”

“What about you?” Nick countered. “Ambrose, Mambo – how are you? And you went to Hell last night, too. You had a tame experience, but it was Hell all the same.”

“I’m always fine,” she said in her superior way. “I have to be.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“One thing at a time,” Prudence replied, pushing aside Nick’s accurately placed concern. “That one thing right now is getting the Sabrinas under control. Then I’ll move on to the next thing. Just like you.”

“Systematically put things back together,” Nick observed. He couldn’t say he wasn’t doing the same thing. He had been systematically putting his life back together for months. “Go ahead and get out of here, Prudence. You’ve earned a respite.”

“Call if you need anything, Nicky.”

And then she was gone.

Nick blew out a breath and climbed the stairs to the bedroom. He entered the odd child’s room without a word. Both Sabrina’s looked his way, still perched on the bed he had left Sabrina Spellman in, cards fanned out between them. He nodded politely, sat down on a rocking chair, and opened the book he had brought with him. He was well aware of their eyes on him. He dutifully ignored them. He had planned this ploy out hours ago, lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling and unable to sleep.

“That’s it?” Queen Sabrina spoke first. “You’re just going to walk in here, sit down, and not say a word?”

Nick lifted his eyes from the page before him.

“Sabrina,” he nodded at the mortal half. “Your majesty,” a polite nod at the queen. He lowered his eyes back to his book. The queen scoffed.

“Seriously?”

“My job is to sit here and make sure the pair of you don’t get into trouble,” he said, eyes still on the words before him. “That doesn’t involve talking.”

The queen simmered. She opened her mouth to spit back a response, but Sabrina beat her to it.

“Nick?”

Her voice was quiet, timid. Unlike her. He couldn’t ignore her.

“Sabrina,” he replied. The queen looked between them, her frown deepening as though she was annoyed at being ignored.

“Are you…” She glanced at her other half with a certain sense of caution. “Are you okay? Ambrose told me about Hell…”

Somehow, it felt different when Sabrina asked him how he was doing. He didn’t fight the need to be defensive, to evade a truthful answer.

“I went to Hell,” he confirmed. “Now I’m sitting here.”

Sabrina understood. Nick wasn’t going to tell her much right now. She sensed it had something to do with the queen half of her sitting a few feet away. But he was doing okay. Or at least, she reasoned as she took in the ghosted expression of his face, he was as okay as he could be under the circumstances.

“Look at me,” she directed. Nick did as instructed. His eyes met hers. She gazed back at him for a few moments. His eyes were as clear as they had been when she noticed their clarity in the sanctum. She nodded once. “Okay.”

Nick exhaled, aware that he had passed some sort of test.

“As touching as all of this is, I would like some answers,” the queen spoke up. “Starting with what, exactly, is the plan here?”

“The plan?” Nick repeated. “The plan is to merge you back into one.”

The queen scoffed.

“She,” she jerked her thumb at Sabrina, “might be on board, but I am not.” She smirked a bit. “Which I would imagine presents quite the obstacle for your grand plan.”

“You might not be on board now, but I’d gander it won’t stay that way for long.” He returned the queen’s steady gaze. “You forget, Your Majesty. I’ve been to Hell. I know how it works.”

She frowned.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Exactly what I just said.”

Her gaze remained steady but grew hotter.

“This was your idea,” she accused. “Kidnapping me in the middle of the night…”

“Technically, it was hers,” he tilted his head towards Sabrina. She looked guilty. The queen looked enraged. “I just thought it was a good one.”

The queen turned on Sabrina.

“This was your idea?” she demanded. “What the Heaven, Sabrina? You get a little lonely as a teenager, so you decide you don’t want this anymore?”

“I’m losing myself,” Sabrina replied. “So are you. Not to mention we’re causing time to do weird things.”

“I’m not losing myself. I’m more myself than I’ve ever been.”

“That is so far from the truth…”

“Just because you’re mortal…”

“You can’t see how much of a terror you are…”

Nick couldn’t look away from the scene before him as the two Sabrinas fired shots at one another. It was like they were arguing with their reflection. It reminded him of the times in recent month when he had stood before a mirror, looking at his own reflection and fighting with what he saw. The bickering grew louder, however, and he knew he had to step in. He turned his palm to face upward and uttered two words in Latin.

A loud bang sounded.

The two Sabrinas startled and fell silent.

“What was that?” the queen demanded.

“I had to shut the pair of you up somehow,” he stated.

“You could have tried words.”

“When was I supposed to get a word?” he wondered. “Besides, this way was more fun for me.”

“We were getting a little out of hand,” Sabrina ventured. “We’re not going to get anywhere by arguing like that. But we do need to merge, Sabrina. It’s the only way out of this.”

The queen looked between Nick and Sabrina, thinking.

“Tell me something,” she pitched after a few moments. “Say I agreed to this whole merging thing. Do you have any idea what would happen if we merged right now?”

“No,” Nick admitted. “We’re figuring that out.”

The queen smirked, her point made.

“Then you’re wasting your time, aren’t you? You don’t have long before my father shows up. You won’t risk merging us together without knowing what will happen.”

Nick couldn’t argue. The queen’s smirk grew in satisfaction.

“I’m going to take a bath,” she decided. “If I remember correctly, this dollhouse has quite the garden tub.” She rose to her feet in a royal sort of way, glided across the room, and disappeared into the attached bathroom. Nick waited, expecting her to return momentarily. Sure enough, she emerged from the bathroom with an annoyed look. “I can’t do magic.”

“You can’t,” he confirmed. “I’m the best binder since…” he trailed off, not sure if he would offend either of them if he mentioned Edward Spellman. “You’re not doing magic anytime soon, Your Majesty.” He leaned back in his chair. “I could, however, cause water to flow from the tap. Bubbles, even.” He smirked a bit. “If you ask nicely.”

She seethed. He waited.

“Please,” she finally spat out.

Part of him wanted to antagonize her more, but another part of him – a greater part – wanted a few minutes alone with the other Sabrina.

“As you command, Your Royal Highness.”

“Stop calling me that,” she snapped as he stood. He paused as he crossed her path in the doorway.

“That’s your title, isn’t it?” he asked. “It would be disrespectful of me to refer to you as anything else.”

She simmered but said nothing else. Nick disappeared into the bathroom.

“He’s not wrong,” Sabrina spoke. “It is your title.”

“I don’t like him calling me that,” she huffed.

“Why?” Sabrina pushed. “You are the queen, aren’t you? I’m sure protocol dictates that your subjects address you by your proper title.”

“It does,” the queen agreed. “But it doesn’t sound right, coming from his mouth.”

Sabrina was spared having to reply by the return of Nick.

“Your bath is running, Your Majesty.” She glared at him. He smirked again. “Enjoy.” He breezed past her and returned to his chair. She watched him for a moment then sniffed, spun on her heel, and slammed the bathroom door behind her. Nick was unbothered. “She’s pleasant.”

Sabrina saw right through him.

“You’re riling her up on purpose.”

He lifted his eyes to hers again. She was looking at him in that ‘I see you’ sort of way she had. It was the look she gave him that convinced him she could see into his very soul. He would tell her the truth.

“I see the Sabrina I know when she’s wound up,” he admitted. “Just like I see her when you’re indignant or worrying about the people you love.”

Sabrina sat back a bit, surprised by his words.

“You can see me?” she asked with a hint of hopefulness. “I mean, the whole me? In each of us?”

“I can,” Nick nodded. “You’re still here, Sabrina. You may be split in half, but you – the genuine, real you – is still in both of you.” He continued to gaze at her. “You’ve noticed she doesn’t like to be referred to by her title.”

“She said she doesn’t like how it sounds coming from your mouth.”

“Interesting,” Nick said more to himself than Sabrina. He pushed aside thoughts of what it could mean to focus on the half of Sabrina in front of him. “How are you? After yesterday?”

She shrugged in a half-hearted manner.

“Resigned,” she said with a manner that told him she had thought of this already. “I’m resigned.” She picked at the comforter. “She’s right though, Nick. We don’t know what will happen if and when we’re merged. Is that a risk we can take?”

“I don’t know that it’s a risk we can’t take,” Nick countered. “We’re going to have to make some decisions, soon. I can’t tell you what the outcome will be.”

“What about you?” Sabrina asked. “Are you okay? I know I just asked, but… You went back to Hell last night, Nick. I would have never asked that of you.”

“You didn’t ask,” he reminded her. “I did what needed to be done.” He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth for a moment, then released it. “I’m okay,” he added. “I made it through, at any rate.”

Sabrina didn’t like his answer, but she didn’t push.

“When this is over…” She trailed off, not really sure about what she wanted to say. She wanted to reassure Nick, comfort him. She had to fight her every urge to go to him and do just that. “You’re sure you’re okay? Because Nick, you went back to Hell…”

This time, there was a note of panic in her tone.

“Sabrina, I’m fine,” he assured her. She seemed wrapped around the idea of him going to hell, even fixated on it. He wanted to reassure her. “It was a little difficult to sleep last night, but that’s not entirely out of the ordinary for me.” He couldn’t miss the flash of guilt that crossed her features. “I meant what I said in that church last night, Sabrina. You are worth it.”

Tears filled her eyes. She blinked them away almost as quickly as they appeared and busied herself with picking up the cards still scattered across her bed. She put them back in their box and pushed her blankets back.

“I’m going to take a nap,” she said as she crawled under the covers. “There’s nothing else to do, right?”

“Sabrina, if you aren’t okay, you can admit that,” Nick prompted, wondering just how many naps she had taken that day. “We can talk about it…”

“I’m not okay,” she shook her head. “But there’s nothing you or anyone else can do about it, Nick. I did this to myself. Me and the half of me currently lounging in the tub. And I know what you said last night, but I disagree. I wasn’t worth it.”

Nicks heart broke as he watched her pull the blanket over herself and disappear under it. He took a deep breath and blew it out again, fighting against the urge to go to her, comfort her, tell her how wrong she was over and over until she believed it. He saw it because he himself had been there.

Sabrina Spellman had fallen into a deep depression.

His own battles with depression, anxiety, and trauma had led him down a dark, dangerous path of drugs, alcohol, and pain. She was traveling down her own path, one free of substances, but filled with inner demons no one else could see or fight for her. She was trapped in her own mind and beginning to shut everyone else out as she turned in on herself.

He vowed as he watched her toss around trying to get comfortable that he would end this.

He had to.

* * *

Ambrose found Nick seated at the dollhouse’s small kitchen table, a notebook open and an empty teacup before him.

“You made yourself right at home,” Ambrose observed.

“No more than Prudence who was watching TV when I got here,” Nick replied. “But mortal Sabrina is tucked in a corner in the parlor, reading, while the queen has taken over the TV set. I’m merely out of the way, but within earshot.” He closed his book. “We’ve got to make some decisions, Ambrose. Sabrina isn’t going to hold on much longer. As for the queen, her tongue is less sharp, but she’s still demanding.”

“Any change in their behaviors?” Ambrose asked.

“Like I said, the queen isn’t quite as high and mighty as she was when she got here, but whether that’s because she’s resigned to her current circumstances, because she understands that she’s stuck, or this is actually working, I don’t know.” He sat back in his chair. “Honestly, I’m more worried about the mortal half. She’s in a deep depression, Ambrose. She’s turning in on herself.”

“Have the pair of them bonded?” Ambrose questioned.

“They were playing cards when I got here,” Nick shared. “They had been for a while according to Prudence.” Nick sighed a weary breath. “We’re running out of time, Ambrose.”

“I know,” Ambrose nodded, his own expression weary as he leaned against the counter. “We have to figure out how to merge them back, and what the consequences are. Soon.”

Nick chewed his lip, debating.

“I’ve got an idea,” he said. “It’s a bit – out there.”

“Dare I ask?” Ambrose sounded skeptical.

“Dorian wasn’t around when Sabrina entered that portal,” he reminded Ambrose. “I left to help the mortals before the second Sabrina appeared. I have a theory, based on absolutely nothing other than my own mind grasping at straws, that I want to investigate.”

Ambrose listened while Nick quickly summarized what he had been thinking over as he took his turn with the Sabrinas. By the time Nick was finished, Ambrose had fallen into a chair, his elbows on the table, hands pushed into his hair.

“You have lost your mind.”

“Do you have a better idea?” Nick countered.

“Unfortunately, no.” Ambrose let his head fall to the table with a groan. He lifted it back up and looked at Nick. “As soon as this is over, both the Sabrina bit and the Blackwood bit, and assuming we survive it, I’m going on a very long vacation. Years long. Years and years.”

“Be sure to send a postcard,” Nick said as he stood. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“Be careful,” Ambrose advised. “Perhaps recruit Prudence…”

“I don’t need Prudence,” Nick shook his head. “I’ve got someone else in mind.”

He left without a word to the Sabrinas, his mission singular. He found Mambo Marie in Zelda’s office at the Academy. He sent up a prayer of gratitude to whomever they were praying to now that Zelda was nowhere to be found. She was already pissed at him and this would only fan her flames.

“Mr. Scratch,” Mambo greeted. “If you’re looking for Zelda…”

“I’m not looking for Directrix Spellman,” he cut her off. “I’m looking for you.”

Mambo raised her eyebrow.

“Oh?”

“I believe you’ve been brought up to date with all things Sabrina, including the fact that Dorian Gray is her half-brother.” Mambo nodded, her eyes still on him. She unnerved Nick a bit. Her magic was different than his and he hadn’t decided if he could trust her, but he held his ground all the same. It was either her or go alone. “I need to summon a demon, one that, I think, might have some answers.”

“From what I understand from the Spellmans, you are extremely adept at conjuring,” Mambo replied. “Why would you need me?”

“This isn’t just any demon,” Nick explained. “I have no doubt that I can conjure her, but I have a pretty good feeling she isn’t going to be easily dealt with. I don’t need your assistance in bringing her into this realm, but I do need you on hand in case things go south.”

“Why me?” she wondered. “Why not Ambrose or Prudence?”

“Because your magic isn’t like ours,” Nick said. “She will expect my magic. She will anticipate my spells. She won’t know what to expect with you. And frankly, should she refuse to answer questions, I think you could coerce her into speaking.”

Mambo continued studying him. He waited for the outcome of her observation.

“You’re trustworthy,” she finally said. “You haven’t always been, but you’ve learned from your mistakes.”

“I paid a very high price for my mistakes,” Nick nodded once. “I’m not that person anymore.”

“No,” Mambo agreed. “You certainly are not.” She pushed her chair back, satisfied with what she saw in the young man before her. “I’ll help you,” she decided. “I assume we’re doing this now?”

“Preferably,” Nick confirmed. “If all goes well, you’ll only serve as a witness. If it doesn’t, I’ll leave it to you to intervene however appropriate.”

“Lead the way,” Mambo replied.

They didn’t speak as they left the Academy. Mambo didn’t question Nick as he led her towards the clearing in the woods. He had initially considered the Gray Room for his conjuring, but something in him told him that the place of Sabrina’s birth was the right place. He was operating entirely on instinct at this point, trusting that whatever the inner voice guiding him was coming from was leading him towards answers.

“Interesting choice of location,” Mambo observed when they arrived at the clearing.

“It feels right,” Nick said by way of explanation. Again, Mambo’s eyes were on him in that insightful way of hers. He was reminded strongly of Prudence, of how she could read minds, of her suspicions that Mambo was her mother. Nick was beginning to believe she wasn’t wrong. “This is where Sabrina was born.”

“You’ve always had that voice, you know,” Mambo said in response. “Deep down. We all do, mortal and magic alike. You simply haven’t listened to yours, blocked it, even. But it will never steer you wrong, Nicholas. You simply have to trust it, even if it’s asking you to do something ludicrous.” She narrowed her eyes a bit. “Like summoning dangerous demons from the deepest of depths.”

“I’ll take the time to explore the emergence of my intuition later,” Nick stated. “Stand back, Mambo. I need room to work.”

Mambo wordlessly retreated to the edge of the woods. She crossed her arms over her chest and watched the warlock. She wondered if he knew how talented he truly was, the amount of power he possessed. His powers were enhanced by his ability to feel his emotions, when he allowed them to come through. He had spent most of his life suppressing them, however, getting by on good looks and abilities above that of the average warlock. The last year – Sabrina – had changed that. If he continued to lean into the man he was becoming, he would become a warlock of both legend and myth.

Nick drew intricate symbols in the dirt, chanting in fluid Latin as he worked. He had gone somewhere else in his mind, to a place where nothing else mattered except the task before him. He stood in the center of his symbols, hands raised, eyes closed. The hair on Mambo’s arms stood on end as his words grew louder, more intricate and ancient. The ground vibrated under them. Mambo uncrossed her arms, ready to intercede if needed.

A crack as loud as thunder echoed through the woods. The ground split open before Nick and a long figure emerged. She was both gruesome and beautiful, her mermaid tail a bright purple, her face flawless, her hair long, gray, and gnarly.

The painting of Dorian’s soul showed their resemblance.

“Who dares summon me?” she demanded as she lowered her eyes on Nick. Her eyebrows raised. “Ah. Nicholas Scratch. My son’s soul told me to expect you.”

“Then we can save the pleasantries,” Nick countered. He wasted no time, sensing he had little of it before Amy, Dorian’s mother, returned to the depths from which she came. “Tell me what you know about the dual Sabrinas.”

“What makes you think I know anything about your two witches?” Amy replied.

“I see where Dorian gets his elusiveness from,” Nick grumbled. “But I don’t have time for it. Dorian is the rightful heir of the throne of Hell. We both know that. You certainly have reason to want your son on the throne, the Dark Lord overthrown. Did you, or did you not, conjure the second Sabrina?”

“That’s a large accusation, Mr. Scratch, that I would conjure a second Sabrina Spellman. Or Morningstar, as it were.”

“Did you or didn’t you?” Nick pressed with no patience.

Amy considered him. Nick held her eyes. He didn’t back down. He wasn’t afraid, not of Amy, at least. He was afraid of the consequences if they didn’t find a way out of Sabrina’s current predicament. Even if she chose to be a Morningstar, or perhaps worse, depending on when he considered the options, chose to be a Spellman, but not to be with him, his only goal in the end was to save her.

“You know the answer to that question,” she observed.

He did. He didn’t know how he knew, but he did. Amy had produced the second Sabrina.

“Why?” Nick pushed. “What was your motive?”

“To save the world,” Amy shrugged. “You were dead in the first version of events. You shouldn’t complain about the outcome.”

“I know your son,” Nick countered, seeing more and more resemblances between Amy and Dorian. “I know the Dark Lord, too. Far too well for my liking. That leaves you as the wild card in all of this. You didn’t conjure a second Sabrina to save the world. You had other plans.”

“Your witch wasn’t supposed to stay in two halves,” Amy stated. “She was supposed to merge back. I would save her from the stone, tell her the truth about Dorian, and hope she did the right thing.”

“The right thing,” Nick repeated. “You mean put Dorian on the throne.”

“Exactly! Then your witch had to go and throw a wrench in it all.”

“How do we fix it?” Nick asked urgently. “How do we get her back into one being? What will happen when we do?”

Amy looked bored.

“The two halves must decide they want to merge.” She delivered the information as casually as old men discussed the weather at the counter of Dr. Cerberus each morning. “It’s as simple and as complex as that. They decide to become one again, return to the scene of the crime, so to speak, grasp hands, and they become one again.”

“What about the time loop?” Nick continued. “What happens there?”

“I suppose the good news is that you’ll remain right where you are.”

“What’s the bad news?”

Again, Amy shrugged.

“There is none.”

Nick narrowed his eyes.

“It can’t be that simple.”

“Can’t it?” Amy countered. “She already went back in time and saved everyone. Time moves slower on earth than it does in Hell, does it not, Mr. Scratch?”

“Hell is ahead of us on the timeline,” Nick realized. “That’s why it felt like years…” He trailed off, mentally berating himself for not figuring that out himself. He had lived it. He had even told Sabrina it didn’t feel like ‘just’ a month. He should have figured it out ages ago. “She merges, we’re exactly where we are in the timeline in the mortal realm. But what about the Hell realm? Where are we then?”

“We’re forging ahead with Sabrina as our queen, the Dark Lord as our king, and Lilith threatening the order of things with her own bastard child.”

“Sabrina has to decide.” Nick had known it all along. They all had. “She has to choose one realm or the other.” He looked at Amy with sharp eyes. She looked like she was doing him a favor, humoring him. His time with her was rapidly dwindling. “Say she doesn’t want to be queen. She agrees to give the crown to Dorian. Do we or do we not have to get rid of the Dark Lord for that to happen?”

“There is the matter of patricide,” Amy said with a casual wave of her hand. “Sabrina knows how to kill her father. He told her himself.”

“How?” Nick demanded. “How do we kill him?”

“There’s a weapon,” Amy continued in her ho hum way that was so like Dorian. “If she wants it, I can help her get it. I do have ties to Heaven, after all.” She fixed Nick with a bored expression. “Are we done here, Mr. Scratch? There’s a band of wayward sailors that could use my, shall we call it, help?”

“If we put Dorian on the throne, will he be an ally?” Nick demanded. “Will he rule with a just hand?”

“My son is underhanded like his father,” Amy answered. “But he doesn’t act out of malice.” She held Nick’s eyes. “A bit like his sister, in that area.”

Nick took a big breath, recognizing his time with Amy done. He could force her to stay, but he needed her on their side. If he angered her, she might push against them, just because she could.

“Thank you,” he said with genuine sincerity. “We’ll do our part to merge them back together.”

“It’s not really up to you in the end though, is it?” Amy asked. “Wonderful chatting with you, dear Nicholas. I’ll be off. But may I suggest filling the flesh half of my son in on all of this? You will need to convince him to merge into one being as well. I trust you’re capable of that?”

“I am,” Nick confirmed. “I’ll talk to Dorian myself.”

“Dorian trusts you,” Amy said in a maternal display of affection for her son. “Because of that, I do, too. Your witch? I’m not so sure about. I don’t know what she will do, what she will choose. When I created a second one of her from her own existence, I thought she would see the error of her ways, decide to be Sabrina Spellman, and when the hurdle of Hell needing a ruler emerged, she would give Dorian what is rightfully is. She wrecked that, however, and now, here we are.” Again, Amy pierced him with that look of hers. “You are running out of time, however. Not only because the Dark Lord will realize she’s not looking for Blackwood – a problem I am not able to assist with – but because the longer her two existences stay apart, the more permanent their situation becomes.” She clucked her head in disappointment. “Your witch, always causing trouble. I do hope she’s learned her lesson this time.”

With that, Amy disappeared.

Free of Amy, Nick leaned over and rested his hands on his knees to catch his breath. The amount of energy and power he had exerted in conjuring her had caught up with him now that she was gone and he needed a moment to compose himself. When he righted himself, Mambo was looking at him with interest

“Funny, isn’t it, how sometimes things really are simple and yet we waste so much time trying to find answers that are right in front of us.”

“And yet things are still not simple at all,” Nick shook his head. Perhaps the solution was. But nothing surrounding the two Sabrinas merging was simple.

It all made sense now. He had answers. But they also had a very wild card. Or cards, as it were.

Sabrina Spellman and Sabrina Morningstar.

“I need to get back to Ambrose,” Nick determined. “Tell him everything.”

“You need to take a few breaths,” Mambo replied. “You’re no good to Sabrina or anyone else if you run yourself into the ground first.”

“I’m fine,” Nick assured her. “I’ve never felt better.”

That was the truth. He felt strong. Focused. It might all crash down around him eventually, but for now, he had answers. The Sabrinas were the question mark. As long as one of them resisted merging, they were no closer to ending this. He looked at Mambo as they started to walk back towards the Academy.

“Thank you for coming with me. I’m glad you weren’t needed.”

“I didn’t think I would be,” she countered. “Amy is a good mother. Any good mother protects their child.” She glanced at Nick. “Yours included.” Nick stumbled over a root at her comment. She smiled a bit. “She was a good witch, Mr. Scratch. I didn’t know her, but she has her ways of communicating. Both with you and others. She has only ever protected you.”

“I know,” Nick said after a beat, his tone suddenly burdened. “I guess she and I are alike in that way.”

“Very true,” Mambo said knowingly. “It’s your greatest blessing and your greatest curse. But I suppose that’s the way with all of those who have the capacity to love – to risk their heart in the name of loving another.”

Nick glanced at her.

“Prudence thinks you may be her mother,” he confessed, aware that he was likely crossing a line. “I don’t know if she’s right, but I do know you have reasons for being in Greendale that aren’t because you were summoned or even fell into a relationship with Zelda Spellman.”

“Time will tell all,” Mambo said by way of answering him. The Academy appeared in the distance. “And speaking of Zelda, I’m going to find her, say hello. I assume you’re heading to the Spellman mortuary.”

“I am,” Nick confirmed. “Don’t…”

“Tell Zelda about our adventure? I won’t. She’ll find out soon enough anyway.” She took a few steps in the direction of the Academy, but then turned back to Nick. One more time, she fixed him with that penetrating look of hers. “I daresay, Mr. Scratch, that you may still get everything you’ve ever wanted.” She smiled just a bit. “If you allow yourself to have it.”

She walked away then, leaving Nick looking after her. His heaved a long sigh, his shoulders rising and falling. There were a lot of factors in play as to whether or not he would get what he wanted at the end of all of this.

But despite it all, he knew what Mambo said was true.

At the end of it all, the biggest obstacle was himself.

He didn’t know if he could get out of his own way to allow himself his greatest desires.

But he didn’t have time to ponder on that now.

He had to figure out how to convince the Sabrinas to become one again.

Soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good to see you again, Nick. We missed you in Part 3. At least I did. I've said in the comments to some of you that I HATED how underutilized he was in Part 3, even with everything going on. It's been so good to write him this way - having his power, starting to own it, lean into it. 
> 
> I also hope Dorian makes a little more sense now. His mother is willing to do whatever it takes. It took her hundreds of years, but she thought she found a way to save her son and put him on the throne. Then of course, Sabrina messed it all up. I know they're teasing Heaven for Part 4 and we may just get a little taste of it... 
> 
> And Queen Sabrina - she REALLY hates when Nick calls her by her title. And Nick knows it. As Sabrina Spellman put it, he sees her. A little teaser: there's morning Morningstar/Scratch to come next chapter. Meanwhile, mortal Sabrina is just a mess and we have Roz too... 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this one! XOXO


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you were a fan of Nick and Sabrina Morningstar - brace yourselves.

Once again, Ambrose sat at the kitchen table of the dollhouse with his hands buried in his hair, listening to Nick explain everything he had learned from Amy. This time, Prudence was there. Nick had timed his arrival with her appearing to relieve Ambrose in an effort to catch them at the same time. She leaned against the counter, equally as dumbstruck.

“So, you’re saying that according to Amy – who created the second Sabrina from Sabrina’s own being – the two of them simply have to agree to merge?” Ambrose asked with disbelief. “And then everything goes back to normal?”

“Time in Hell is different,” Nick explained yet again. “It makes sense, Ambrose. Hell is – not in the future, exactly, but it is ahead of where we are now. Hell is its own realm, remember? Time moves faster there. A day feels like a week. And trust me, a month feels like decades. There’s a gap in time because there are two of them, one in each realm, but if they merge where they were supposed to merge in the first place, they will close the gap.”

“How do you explain all the odd things that happen with Sabrina?” Prudence wondered. “The clocks falling and stopping and spinning, the weather, her forgetting things… Is that the gap, then?”

“I think the weather has been Blackwood all along,” Nick said with certainty. “We blamed Sabrina, but snow in September? That wasn’t her. The pitch black in the middle of the afternoon was her – so was the daylight in the middle of the night – but that’s because with them being in halves, there is a glitch in the time continuum. The best way I can describe is that when the clock reaches the point in which the Sabrinas remained in half, it jumps the gap and tries to pick up again which is when the odd stuff happens. We merge them in Hell, the timeline smooths out. It can stop skipping the gap and life goes on as is.”

“I swear to Hecate, this is somehow so simple and so complex,” Ambrose muttered to himself as he tried to digest everything Nick had shared.

“You’ve settled on Hecate then?” Nick asked, well aware of Ambrose’s search for a deity if for no other reason than needing something to swear to.

“Why the Heaven not?” Ambrose shrugged. “Best suggestion on the table thus far, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” Nick agreed. He wasn’t opposed to Hecate at any rate.

“How do you propose we get the pair of them to agree to merge?” Ambrose wondered. “Sabrina Spellman wants to, Sabrina Morningstar does not.”

“There is still humanity in Sabrina Morningstar,” Nick said with certainty. “I see it in her. She hates when I call her by her title. And there’s just something about – her.”

“And yet she demanded I call her ‘your royal highness’ during my shift yesterday,” Prudence said curiously.

“Yeah, well, she doesn’t like you,” Ambrose muttered. Prudence glared at him. Nick didn’t allow himself to think about what Ambrose was implying. “She was more tolerably this evening. At one point I forgot I was talking to the Queen of Hell, she was so Sabrina like.”

“What about the other Sabrina?” Nick wondered. “What has she been like?”

“More herself,” Ambrose said, realizing it for the first time. “Together, they were – well, Sabrina. It was weird. There were two of them, but they were just – one. Their halves were together and it was like something inside them recognized each other. Like each half was on an opposite end of a line, getting further and further apart, but now they’re both coming back towards the center.”

“It’s working then,” Nick said with a single nod. “They’re both asleep right now?”

“Out like lights,” Ambrose confirmed. “I gave them one of Hilda’s tea blends. No one knocks them out quite like Hilda.”

“Prudence, I’ll take your shift,” Nick decided. “I want to be here when they wake up.”

“Why?” she asked suspiciously.

“The queen responds to me differently,” he reminded them. “She told Sabrina she doesn’t like how it sounds when I call her by her title. If I’m here, I might be able to reason with her.”

“It’s because she cares for you,” Ambrose realized. “Not in the way she cares for me or even for Prudence, because despite her sharp tongue when things are, shall we say, normal, she does care for you,.” Prudence didn’t look convinced. “When Nick calls her by her title, it pokes at something in her, something that, as you put it, is still tied to her humanity.” Ambrose studied Nick. “She loves me. I’m her cousin. But she loves you as well. There’s a bond there that can’t be easily severed.”

“I don’t know about that,” Nick hedged, not willing to believe there was still love for him buried within the witch halves sleeping upstairs. It was too dangerous for him to get his hopes. “But there’s something there. I can’t guarantee I’ll get through to them, but I can try.”

“You have to try,” Prudence echoed. “Fine. Take my shift. But if you need me…”

“I know,” Nick agreed. He ran a hand through his hair. “We’re close. We are so close.”

“To solving this, at least,” Ambrose pointed out. “We’ve still got Blackwood to worry about.”

No one disputed him. Their existence was as tumultuous as it had ever been.

“If Nicky is taking my shift, I suppose I will go make myself useful at the Academy,” Prudence decided after a beat. “Don’t do anything stupid, Nick.”

“Agreed,” Ambrose echoed. “If I didn’t need to meet with Zelda, I’d stick around to make sure you don’t.”

“I’m not going to do anything irrational,” Nick assured them. “I just want to get the pair of them back into one existence. That’s my only goal.”

It took another round of reassurances for Ambrose and Prudence to leave. Nick got comfortable in the living room, plucking a mortal classic from the shelf that lined the back of the room. A couple of hours passed in silence before he heard soft footsteps. He waited, wondering which of the Sabrinas was awake.

It was the queen.

“I was expecting Prudence,” she greeted.

“Sorry to disappoint, Your Majesty.”

Her eyes narrowed even as she wandered into the room and perched on the edge of an armchair as though she were afraid to get too comfortable.

“I told you not to call me that.”

“I’m not one to go against protocol,” Nick retorted. The queen shook her head.

“You have no regard for protocol,” she argued. “You’ve always done whatever the Heaven you want.”

“Shall I get you a mirror to look into when you say that?” Nick countered. The queen looked annoyed.

“You don’t like me very much,” she observed.

“I didn’t say that,” Nick shook his head.

“You don’t have to. I can tell. It’s in the way you refer to me as ‘Your Majesty’ or ‘Your Royal Highness.’ You don’t like me. At least, not anymore.”

Nick closed his book and gave her his full focus.

“I didn’t like the person you became,” he told her honestly. “You went from the girl who would do anything to protect the people she loves to a woman possessed and blinded by power. I get it, though. Hell brings out the worst in us. You’ve always enjoyed a certain amount of power, but it took you over.”

“Hell did no such thing. It’s simply getting a bad reputation…”

“Because its Hell,” Nick countered with a tone of disbelief. “I’ve spent time there, remember?”

The queen’s sharp tongue fell dull. She sat back a bit, as though surprised by the reminder of Nick’s experience in Hell. He saw the opening he was looking for.

“Tell me, your majesty, how is your father?”

“He’s fine,” she said in a clipped tone.

“Fine?” Nick pressed. “No plots to take over the world, no sinister dealings to involve himself in? Is he still demanding arguably innocent witches and warlocks prove their devotion to him?”

“It’s his right…”

Her argument lacked its usual sustenance. Nick was certain she was regaining at least some of her humanity, her more mortal feelings. He continued to press her.

“His right?” he repeated. “It’s his right to torture innocent people?”

“People who come to Hell aren’t innocent,” the queen argued.

“Some of them are,” Nick countered. “I was only guilty of loving you.”

A flash of pain filled her eyes. She swallowed it back.

“You lied,” she reminded him. “For weeks.”

“Because the Dark Lord asked it of me,” Nick pointed out. “I’ll regret my devotion to him for the rest of my life. He’s a vile creature.”

“He gave you your substantial powers,” the queen informed him. “He blessed you, more so than most warlocks at that…”

“Your father did no such thing,” Nick shook his head. “My powers come from Hecate now.”

“Hecate is a false god…”

“Goddess,” Nick corrected. “One your own Aunt Zelda called upon to save not only our coven, but to raise your Aunt Hilda from the dead. I’d think you would show her some respect.” He focused his eyes on her. “Although I suppose they are no longer your aunts, are they? You’ve fully denounced your Spellman family, despite everything they’ve done for you.”

“I haven’t…”

“You have.” Nick knew he was being harsh. He would never speak to the other half of Sabrina – or Sabrina as a whole – like this. But the being before him was the worst parts of the witch he loved so much. He knew a thing or two about what it was like for the darkest parts of one’s being to take over. And for better or worse, he knew the real Sabrina. This is what would get through to her, even if it hurt her. “You turned your back on the Spellmans the moment you were challenged by Caliban. Those people sacrificed for you, over and over. Their sacrifices mean nothing to you.” He looked right into her eyes. “My sacrifices mean nothing to you.”

She sat back in her chair like she had been physically hit. Nick held his ground, even as he fought not to take back what he said. It was vicious, hurtful. But it was also painfully true, at least when said to the half of Sabrina before him.

“That’s not true,” she shook her head, her voice softer. “You know that’s not true, Nick.”

“It is,” he insisted. “Because if it weren’t, you would have never set out on that Holy Regalia nonsense in the first place.”

“I had to…”

“You didn’t,” Nick kept going. “Do you not realize how many people sacrificed for you – the real you – Your Majesty? Your aunts and Ambrose time and time again found ways to get you out of trouble. Your friends went with you to Hell to rescue me. _I_ went to Hell for _you._ You wouldn’t believe me when I told you that son of a bitch was still inside me, couldn’t see that I was falling apart. You simply wanted to pick right back up where we left off, as though nothing had happened, as though I hadn’t betrayed you or been put through absolute and total torture simply for being fool enough to love you.” He continued to look right at her, watched her shrink more with each sentence. He hated himself for what he was doing, but it had to be done. “You asked me to go to a fucking carnival hours after I emerged from the worst days of my life.” He swallowed down a lump in his throat at the memory. “You should have let me die in that dungeon.”

“No!” she cried out. “Nick…”

“You don’t give a damn about your former family, your former friends,” he told her, not giving her a chance to rebuttal. He shook his head. “You didn’t give a damn about me.”

“That’s not true!” she cried out. Tears poured down her cheeks. Nick’s hands tightened around the arms of his chair. He had done it. He had broken the queen. It didn’t feel good. “You know that’s not true, Nick!”

“You’re the Queen of Hell.” He put his book aside and stood up. She didn’t move but watched him with something akin to fear in her eyes. “You feel nothing. For me or anyone else.” He made sure to hold her eyes for the parting blow. “I guess you’re right. I don’t like you.” He continued to gaze into her brown eyes, damned himself for hurting her, even if it was part of a larger goal to save her. “And I certainly don’t love you, not like this.”

Her shaky gasp that ended in a choked sob followed him out of the room. He made it to the Victorian half bath tucked under the staircase before he broke down himself. He leaned on the vanity and fought to breathe. He reminded himself he hadn’t said his darkest thoughts to _Sabrina_ , but to her own darkest and most vile parts, the parts of her that needed to hear what she had done as she became more like herself. In her full form, he wouldn’t have said anything she hadn’t thought herself, even if she hadn’t vocalized it.

He could only pray to Hecate that she didn’t remember this if and when she was one. But if she did, he had to hope the other half of her knew him well enough to know his painful words were only ever meant to save her. To bring forth the humanity in her dark half.

Because if nothing else, he had confirmed what he had known deep down for so very long.

Sabrina loved him.

His words wouldn’t have broken the Queen of Hell if she hadn’t.

He breathed through his panic attack with that at the forefront of his mind.

Sabrina loved him.

She loved him so much that hearing him say anything to the contrary had broken through her Hell-shielded heart. There was perhaps hope for them down the road, if they could make it through this and Blackwood’s terrors. Surely the universe would allow them to rest then? To pick up their lives?

In the hallway, the queen stood at the foot of the stairs, debating, wondering. She wanted to beat on the bathroom door, demand Nicholas Scratch open it and talk to her, explain himself and just what he meant by talking to her in such a way. She wanted to flee, run as far away from the dollhouse she was bound to as she could.

She found she didn’t want to run to Hell.

Reality hit her like a ton of bricks.

She rushed up the stairs and threw open the bedroom door with authority. She was relieved to find Sabrina awake, her arms stretching over her head as she welcomed another day. She noted in a passing moment that her more mortal half’s hair had lightened overnight. She didn’t need to look in a mirror to know hers had darkened.

“I don’t have a home.”

Sabrina looked at the queen, still a bit sleepy.

“What?”

“I don’t have a home.” The queen was near panic. “I don’t belong here, with the Spellmans. But I don’t belong in Hell either. I never did. I should have never been queen. I made a mistake… A huge mistake… So big I can’t even call it a mistake…”

“What’s going on?” Sabrina tossed her comforter back and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. “What happened?”

“Nick…” the queen trailed off. She looked utterly wounded. Sabrina’s heartrate picked up.

“Nick?” She was on her feet. “Is he okay?”

“He’s fine. Or, well, he’s upset, I think, but he’s okay.” She shook her head. “He doesn’t like me.” She fought to keep fresh tears from falling. Queens didn’t cry, but it was all she wanted to do. “He said he didn’t love me.”

Sabrina inhaled sharply.

“But… Nick…”

She realized in that moment that she had never doubted that Nick loved her, not even when he said he hated her, high on drugs, eyes full of anger. He had even said he loved her as he broke her heart. It took her breath to wonder if it were true, that he didn’t love her anymore.

“Never mind him, though,” the queen said. “What’s happening to me, Sabrina? I didn’t realize it until Nick pointed it out, even if I should have noticed when we were talking yesterday. I’m losing my memories of my aunts, of Ambrose. I only remember the more recent stuff, things I’d rather forget.” A stray tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away. “I hate being Queen.”

Despite the sadness rolling off her in waves, she was relieved to have admitted her burden to someone. She hated it, had since the shine of her new crown had worn off in the days after her coronation. She hadn’t been able to admit it, hadn’t been able to face it, not without the other half of her being, the half that steered her along the right path, kept the darker parts of her being in check. It felt good to share it with someone – even if that someone was the half of her that had known she hated being queen all along.

“You – hate it?” Sabrina asked carefully. The queen nodded.

“There are so many rules, so many things I can’t do, so many expectations. The crown truly is heavy, Sabrina. I don’t want it. I don’t want to live confined to the depths of the underworld without family – true family – or friends. I don’t want to be responsible for providing an heir. And I’m sick and tired of yielding to the Dark Lord.” She shook her head a bit as though clearing away the cobwebs. “I didn’t realize it was so bad until I was away from it. It’s like I can see everything clearly now.”

“You’re becoming more – you,” Sabrina observed. “More – us. When we’re whole.” Her eyes widened. “I wonder…” She looked around the room and searched for something, anything. She spied the deck of cars. She crossed the room and picked up the pack. She plucked a single card from it and held it between her fingers. She was halfway through the spell when a voice spoke.

“You won’t be able to set fire to that.”

Nick leaned against the door’s frame, hands deep in his pockets. His expression was blank, carefully guarded.

“You didn’t let me try,” she fired back. She wasn’t sure how she felt towards him at that moment. She couldn’t believe he didn’t love her. And yet, he had said it to the queen half of her. Wasn’t that the same as saying it to her? What did he mean by it? Now wasn’t the time to question it.

“You didn’t let me finish.” He didn’t move but kept his eyes on her. “I would hypothesize that you could, actually, set that card on fire. But I’ve got sigils on both of you, remember? You’re not doing any magic until I lift my bindings.”

“Of course,” the queen huffed.

Sabrina heard something different though.

“You think I could set this on fire?”

“I do,” Nick nodded once. He shifted off the frame but remained in the doorway. “Your hair is growing lighter. Hers,” he tilted his head towards the queen, “is getting darker. You,” his head tilted back to her, “are finding your backbone again.” He looked back to the queen. “And you found your humanity.”

“This plan of yours is working,” Sabrina recognized.

“Seems to be,” Nick nodded. “Everything okay up here?”

“Lovely,” the queen snipped. “I’m doing great. Having the time of my life.”

“We’re okay,” Sabrina said in a softer voice. “You can go back downstairs, Nick.” They looked at each other for a long moment before Nick nodded once, sensing the two Sabrinas were working through something he didn’t need to be a part of.

“I’ll check back in a few minutes,” he told them. Then he was gone. Sabrina returned her attention to the queen.

“You know what this means, don’t you?” she asked. “That you’re feeling things, that I can – supposedly – do magic?”

The queen took a beat before she nodded.

“We’re becoming more ourselves.”

“We are,” Sabrina confirmed. “And we…”

“Need to merge,” the queen finished, seeing it for herself now that Nick had ruptured the part of her that had been hardened and sealed off in Hell.

“We need to merge,” Sabrina nodded. “I have no idea what the consequences will be.”

“I don’t want to be queen,” the queen said again. In that moment, that was the most important thing to her, to rid herself of queendom and live life on her own accord. “I want to abdicate. But we can’t leave the Dark Lord on the throne. He’ll punish us. We can’t let Caliban have it, either…” She was working herself into a panic as the ability to feel things and recognize the consequences hanging over them continued to flood back into her veins. Across from her, the more mortal Sabrina felt surer of herself than she had in a while.

“I suppose it’s a good thing we have another option,” Sabrina ventured.

“We do?” the queen asked. “Who? Or what?”

“Come sit down.” Sabrina led them to the twin bed she had slept in the last two nights. “We have a brother.” She explained Dorian as best she could, still hazy on a lot of it herself. When she was finished, the queen looked both shocked and relieved.

“Do you think he’ll do it?” she asked. “Do you think Dorian will allow us to merge his body and soul and become king?”

“I hope so,” Sabrina replied. “If I know anything about Dorian, it’s that he loves to be the center of attention. His own vanity might be what convinces him, if nothing else.”

The queen looked as though she were wearing a heavy backpack, her shoulders slumped, her heart heavy. Sabrina took her hand.

“If we get out of this, if we become one again, promise me you won’t ever do something this ridiculous again,” the queen requested.

“Only if you promise me the same,” she replied. The queen’s response was to squeeze her hand, a promise made between their two beings.

“I think I’m going to go take another bath,” the queen decided. A hot bath would sooth her, help her process the last hour. Her face fell. “Never mind. We need magic to draw water in this dollhouse. I don’t want to bother Nick. Not after…” she trailed off. Sabrina looked at her for a moment, then stood up.

“I’ll bother him,” she decided. She left to the queen protesting, asking her to come back, sensing that the mortal half of their existence wanted to do more than ask Nicholas Scratch to draw a bath. Sabrina ignored the queen’s call for her to return and stomped down the stairs, ensuring Nick knew she was coming. She found him in the living room, his book in hand once more. “The queen would like to take a bath, and thanks to your bindings, she needs you to draw the water.”

“Okay,” Nick agreed. He put his book aside and stood up. Sabrina frowned.

“Okay?” she repeated. “That’s it?”

“Would you like me to say no?” he retorted.

“I just expected you to protest,” Sabrina countered. “Or at least make a smart remark.” Nick nearly smiled. Standing before him was the most Sabrina-like version of Sabrina he had seen since his return to Greendale. “She’s upset by the way. Because of you.”

“I do have a track record of upsetting girls named Sabrina,” he mused. “But anything I said was said for her own good.”

“Including telling her – and by proxy, me – that you don’t love her?”

Sabrina stared him down. He held his ground.

“I love Sabrina,” he told her with absolute sincerity. “But she’s not here. Not yet.”

Sabrina swallowed down a ball of emotions that formed in her throat at his words. She had hoped as much, hoped Nick had said something that without context, the queen wouldn’t understand, given that she had been far away from them for so long, existing in the underworld.

“Okay then,” she said softly. She blew out a breath. “You’ll be happy to know she’s come to her senses and agrees that we should merge. She doesn’t want to be queen.” She paused, almost nervous about her next confession, not sure how Nick would take it. “I told her about Dorian.”

“Then I should probably tell the pair of you about Dorian’s mother,” Nick countered. “I conjured her a few hours ago. We had a conversation.” It was his turn to pause for a beat. “Sabrina, we can end this soon. Tonight, even.” He held her eyes. “But only if the pair of you truly want to.”

* * *

Silence filled the dollhouse.

Nick watched the two Sabrinas, both of them deep in thought. Prudence leaned against the wall, arms cross, sharp eyes taking in everything. Ambrose perched on the coffee table, elbows on his knees, hands clasped, waiting.

“You’re sure about this?” the queen broke the quiet that had filled the room for several minutes.

“I can only tell you what Amy told me,” Nick answered. “I can’t promise she told the truth. But I believe her.”

“Why?” Sabrina asked. “Why do you believe her?”

“She’s a mother,” Nick said with a wisdom that was accompanied by a wistful sheen in his eyes that disappeared with a blink. “She wants what’s best for her son and she will do anything for him. If this goes according to plan, Dorian benefits greatly. He gets the throne that’s rightfully his. And I imagine she gets to return to Heaven – unless she opts to stay in the inferno with her son.”

“So – we’re doing this?” the queen asked.

“Only if you’re positive this is what you both want,” Ambrose said. “If either of you have any ounce of doubt…”

They protested at the same time.

“Please, Ambrose,” the queen won out. “This is what we want. What I want.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to be queen. I don’t want to be like – this.”

There was a sincerity to her words that not even Prudence could doubt.

“Very well then.” Ambrose looked to Nick. “Scratch? You’re sure you can merge Dorian?”

“Positive,” Nick confirmed. “It’s not a simple spell, but I’ve studied it enough to feel confident.” He shrugged a shoulder casually. “Then there’s the fact that I’ve been on the receiving end of it.”

“This is a little different,” Prudence reminded him. “You had a soul that wasn’t yours ripped from your body and put into another.”

“It’s still the same spell,” Nick argued. “I’m transferring a soul.”

“I trust him,” Sabrina spoke up. Everyone looked to her. She, however, was looking at Nick. He found himself sitting up a little taller, buoyed by her vote of confidence.

“So do I,” the queen added quietly. She, however, avoided Nick’s eyes, still wounded by his earlier words, even if she knew from Sabrina that Nick didn’t love her in halves, but as a whole, as both the worst and best of herself, the way anyone should be loved.

“Okay then,” Ambrose said after a beat. “I suppose we should form a plan for once Dorian is whole and Sabrina descends into Hell to merge then abdicate.” He looked doubtful. “If you still decide to abdicate.”

“I’m abdicating,” the queen said in a strong voice. “We don’t need a plan. I’ll handle it.”

“Because you ‘handling’ things has gone so well in the past,” Prudence hummed.

“This is my mess…” Sabrina started. “Our mess…”

“Prudence is right,” Nick cut in. “We need to think this through. You’re going to be met with a lot of opposition when you announce you’re abdicating in favor of the brother only the Dark Lord knows exists. The Dark Lord isn’t the only one that will resist. I imagine Lilith won’t take it well, given that she’s carrying an heir.”

“We have to kill him.” The queen’s words were quiet and cold as steel. “The Dark Lord. It’s the only way. We kill him and I’m the queen. They will respect the transfer of power by death. They’ll have no choice but to accept Dorian when I abdicate, given the throne is rightfully his by both birth and blood.” She made a face. “He’s a male, anyway. The hordes of Hell with appreciate that about him.”

“And we kill Satan – how?” Prudence asked.

“The Spear of Longinus,” Sabrina supplied. “He told me himself.”

“The Holy Lance,” Ambrose understood. “The sword of a Roman solider who is said to have pierced the side of Jesus as he hung from the cross to ensure he was dead.”

“And how, exactly, do we find this holy sword?” Prudence wondered.

“There are relics of it all around the world,” Ambrose thought fast. “Rome, Vienna, Vagharshapat, Antioch… They all claim to hold the relic, but there is no way to know if they are real.”

“Amy said there was a weapon,” Nick remembered. “That Sabrina knew what it was, and that she could help us get it. She mentioned patricide.”

“It has to be me,” the queen nodded once. “Once we’re merged into one being, I have to be the one that kills him. I’ll kill him, call Dorian to the diose, and abdicate.”

“What about Lilith?” Prudence questioned.

“And Caliban?” Nick added. “The Plague Kings?”

“I’ll take care of them,” the queen said with no room for debate. She looked at mortal half set beside her. “We will take care of them.”

Another heavy silence fell over the group. This time, it was the mortal Sabrina that broke the quiet.

“Shall we go?” she questioned.

“I suppose so,” Nick agreed. He stood. The two Sabrinas did the same at exactly the same time. Prudence pushed herself off the wall. Ambrose was the last to get to his feet. He did so slowly, exhaling a weary sigh. “I’ll remove the sigils when we’re at Dorian’s and he’s agreed to merge,” Nick told the Sabrinas.

“Don’t trust us?” the queen quipped.

“I’ve had too much experience with you going rogue,” he replied. “This is not the time.”

“I’ll agree to that,” Ambrose stated.

“Let’s get this over with,” Prudence said.

“But first, we tell the aunts,” Sabrina stated. “They deserve to know.”

Her jaw was set with a familiar determination. Her eyes, too, reflected a steadfast everyone in the room had come to expect from her.

“If that’s what you want,” Ambrose agreed.

“It’s what I want,” the queen said. “What we want,” she corrected.

“A pitstop, then,” Prudence said. “Let’s go.”

She said the incantation to transport them from the dollhouse. Their group traipsed through the house and gathered in the sitting room, Ambrose parting ways with them to collect the aunts. No one spoke while they waited. Again, the Sabrinas sat side by side on the sofa. Nick had noticed even if no one else had – they were moving as one, even if their thoughts were still separate. Their hair color was identical now. The only way to truly tell them apart was by the ‘SS’ and ‘SM’ located behind their right ears. Neither of them had noticed them as of yet.

“I hear we have a plan to end this nonsense,” Zelda said as she swept into the room, Hilda on her heels. She stopped short when she saw the two Sabrinas sitting on her couch. “Goodness…”

“Unbelievable,” Hilda uttered, drawing up at Zelda’s side, both aunts’ eyes on the duo before them. “There really are two of you…”

“Not for much longer,” Ambrose supplied. “Have a seat aunties. We don’t have a lot of time, but Sabrina – both of them – wanted to tell you the plan before we set out to enact it.”

“Well then.” Zelda perched on the edge of an armchair. Her smoking stick materialized from the depths of her dress. She lit it with a mere puff of breath. “Let’s hear it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It hurt a little to write Nick telling Sabrina Morningstar he didn't love her. I think there is a part of Nick, his darkest parts, that is struggling with that half of her, the half that reflects Hell and Lucifer. But I think he also made it clear in the end that he loves HER. He broke the queen because he loves Sabrina. 
> 
> And I kind of loved breaking the queen, not going to lie. Also loved seeing Sabrina Spellman find her backbone. But I think Nick won with a couple of his one liners about girls named Sabrina and going rogue... 
> 
> Now, they merge. Or do they? 
> 
> Please share all your thoughts and feelings in the comments! XOXO 
> 
> (P.S. - I warned you it was going to be a slow burn, but I promise Nick and Sabrina WILL have their long awaited talk. Eventually... And probably with some drama... :))


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be the longest chapter I've ever posted. I recommend getting cozy before you dive in. But I suppose we all have a lot of time on our hands now, don't we? :)

Nick led the way into Dorian’s. The barkeep was in his usual place behind the bar which was, as it tended to be these days, empty. 

“Ah, Nicholas,” Dorian perked up. His eyebrows shot up as he took in the crowd that filed in behind Nick. “Prudence. All the Spellmans. A party at last!” His eyes zeroed in on the two Sabrinas. “Certainly my eyes are playing tricks on me. I’m not seeing two Sabrinas…” 

“Save it, Dorian,” Nick stated. “You know all about the two Sabrinas, and how they came to be.” 

“This is the first I’m hearing of it…” 

“Don’t try it,” Ambrose warned. “We’re well aware of your true past, parentage and all.” 

“Are you now?” 

“You’re my brother,” the queen stated with that signature no patience way of hers. “Half-brother, to be exact. Your soul is hidden in a portrait behind your bar, and your mother is responsible for creating two of us.” She jerked her thumb at Sabrina who gave Dorian a pointed look to back up her double’s statement. “We messed up your mother’s plan by staying in parts and caused a gap in the time continuum. Long story, but I’m sure you already know it. Now, we’re going to rectify that, and you’re going to get what’s rightfully yours.” The queen fixed him with a steady gaze. “The throne of Hell.” 

“These are large accusations you’re making,” Dorian beat around the truth. “I don’t quite know what to make of them.” 

“You’re just like your father, playing elusive when you know you’re caught.” 

A woman waltzed out of a side room. Dorian looked surprise to see her. 

“Amy,” Nick greeted with his usual nod of the head. “Excellent timing.” 

“Seeing as this was messed up the first time I attempted it, I thought I should show up in person to see it through,” she replied. She turned her focus to her son. “Dorian, darling, you can drop the act. Nicholas and his friends know everything.” 

“I did hear tale of them questioning my portrait.” Dorian shuttered. “To think you saw me that way…” 

“Like I said, you’re just like your father,” Amy stated with a look of annoyance. “Too vain for your own good. Fortunately for all of us, you’re a far sight more reasonable as well.” 

“That remains to be seen,” Prudence muttered. Nick gave her a look that silenced her. 

“Dorian, you were meant to rule Hell,” the queen stepped forward. Nick saw in her the Sabrina he knew so well, a young woman capable of so much and full of determination when she was at her best. “Not me. You’re more powerful than our father, a more capable and just ruler, if you want to be. I don’t want to be queen, but we can’t leave the Dark Lord on the throne. We do that, none of us will survive.” 

“Go on…” Dorian’s attention was piqued. Sabrina came to the queen’s side. 

“Your mother conjured me from my duality – half witch, half mortal – with the intention of you ultimately ending up on the throne. We messed it up – and a lot more – by deciding to remain in halves.” 

“I know all of that,” Dorian nodded once. “I’m most intrigued by the part where I’m meant to rule Hell.” 

“We plan to merge,” the queen said. “Soon. And then, when we’re one again, I’m going to abdicate the throne. I want to put you on it in my place.” 

“You speak like this will be an easy feat,” Dorian drawled. “Who is to say I’ll agree, for one?” 

“Must you always play hard to get?” Amy asked, exasperated. “Your father talks in circles like this. I dare to say it’s one of the worst traits you got from that man.” 

“I’m merely having fun, Mum,” Dorian said, giving his mother a fond smile. She was unamused. “All of this is fine and well, but the fact that I’m half flesh, half soul is quite the hurdle. Never mind that the Dark Lord stopped just shy of killing me to keep me from claiming the throne in the first place. Only he can repair me.” 

“The Dark Lord is too vain to rid the world of his heirs entirely,” Nick said knowingly. “He wouldn’t kill you. You’re a part of him. But he would do the next best thing, which in your case, was making you less than whole before you understood your true potential.” He stood a little taller, all too familiar with the inner workings of the Dark Lord’s mind. “Fortunately for you, I can perform the spell to bring your soul and flesh back together.” 

“I’m sure you can, being an astute warlock and all, but I haven’t agreed to any of this yet,” he pointed out. 

“But you will,” Nick continued. “I know you, Dorian. This is the moment you’ve been waiting for all these decades of your existence.” He tilted his head a bit as he considered him as a thought occurred to him. “This is the reason you set up shop in Greendale in the first place. You’ve known all along that Sabrina was your half-sister.” 

“I may have been privy to that information,” Dorian admitted. A general murmur of surprise echoed fro Zelda and Hilda. “But I quite like running my bar…” 

“Darling, your bar has no patrons,” Amy reminded him in a tone that left no room to argue. “Blackwood killed most of the coven and those he didn’t manage to off don’t frequent the place, particularly now that Nicholas here is sober.” Nick shot her a dirty look, but she wasn’t wrong. He had been Dorian’s sole customer during the worst of his addiction. “Don’t use your so called work as an excuse not to claim your birthright. Your mum has worked too hard for you to turn this down.” 

Dorian eyed Sabrina. Or tried to. He couldn’t decide which one to look in the eye. 

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” he asked. “How do I know you won’t change your mind once you’re whole and all of this will be for naught?” 

“I don’t want to be queen,” the queen said. 

“Neither do I,” the mortal queen added. “The fact that our two halves, one mortal, one celestial, agrees upon that should be enough to convince you.” 

Dorian looked suspicious, but slowly, he nodded. 

“There’s a catch, isn’t there?” he wondered. 

“Only that you allow us to exist without harm,” Sabrina told him. “Once I abdicate and escape Hell, I want nothing more to do with that place. I want the chance to live a life without the threat of the Dark Lord or his offspring hovering over me.” She paused for a moment. “A chance to figure out who I actually am.” 

In a silent show of support, the queen took her hand and squeezed it. 

“You’re a Spellman,” Zelda spoke up. “Your father be damned.” 

Sabrina didn’t dare look at her aunt. If she did, the weight of Zelda’s declaration would be enough to buckle her. She needed to be strong right now, not focus on whether the people standing behind her were her blood relatives or not. Still, Zelda’s words boosted her confidence. 

“To be fair, our father is damned,” Dorian said casually. 

“Enough,” Amy shook her head. “Dorian, do you agree to allow the Spellmans and their coven to live their lives without your interference?” She glanced at the Sabrinas and softened just a bit at the sight of the young girl’s features. She remembered her own fears for her son, the obstacles she worried over. The girl had grown up with more love than she would ever truly understand, and yet no one had known what lie ahead for her. “It’s time for them to have some peace.” 

“They have been loyal customers,” Dorian said with his usual hoity air. “And she is my sister.” His smile was not quite a smile, not quite a smirk as he took her in. “Shame we never got around to bonding like siblings.” He tilted his head as he considered her. “There is the matter of the Dark Lord. We will have to unseat him.” 

Sabrina looked to Amy. 

“I’ll need the Spear on Longinus,” she said. “Nick said you could help me get it.” 

Amy smiled a real, genuine smile. 

“I may not be allowed in Heaven, but I do still have friends willing to cross realms to help.” 

She closed her eyes and began to move her lips, but no words came out. Several moments later, a glowing ball of light descended from the ceiling. It grew larger, brighter, so bright they had to shield their eyes. A man began to materialize from the ball of light. He was beautiful, so beautiful he glowed. 

“Michael,” Amy greeted with a fondness. 

“Amy,” he replied in a deep, smooth voice. “It’s time?” 

“It’s time,” she confirmed. “Dorian, everyone, meet…” 

“Archangel Michael,” Ambrose finished, unable to hide his awe. “Unholy… I mean…” He stumbled over his words, suddenly self-conscious of swearing in front of a Heavenly being even though he knew a few curse words would not be what kept him from entering the pearly gates. 

“I am,” he confirmed. His eyes settled on Sabrina. “You must be Sabrina Spellman-Morningstar.” 

“I am,” the Sabrinas spoke at the same time. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he reached into his robe and produced a gold, gilded spear. 

“My kind normally see ourselves as above your kind,” he told her with honesty. “But you are the chosen one. Your mother was good, decent, despite her marriage to a warlock. Her blood runs through you, mixing with Lucifer’s, giving you light to counteract the dark. While Hell must always exist to balance our realms, Lucifer’s time has come.” He held out the spear. “I present you with the Holy Spear. Use it well.” His eyes darkened a shade. “I daresay you may be able to use it twice.” His eyes shifted to Prudence. “The King of Pandemonium isn’t the only one who can fall at its tip.” 

The queen stepped forward and gingerly took the spear from Michael. It was heavier than she expected it to be. She nearly dropped it before recovering. She held it in her palms, took in its intricate carvings, its ruby encrusted handle. 

“Thank you.” She found herself curtseying. It felt like the appropriate thing to do. 

“Use it well,” Michael instructed. 

“How will we return it?” Sabrina asked. “We won’t need it once he’s gone.” 

“Bury it in the clearing where you were born,” Michael instructed. “It will find its way home from there.” 

“Thank you, Michael,” Amy said from her place beside Dorian. 

“It’s time to end Lucifer,” Michael replied. There was a certain chemistry there, a clear history shared between the two. “It’s nearing time for you to come home as well.” 

“But not quite,” Amy said with a knowing smile. “Soon, Michael. But not quite.” 

“Soon,” he echoed. He gave the rest of them a deep bow and faded away in another bulb of bright light. 

“There’s that part taken care of,” Dorian drawled, indicating the spear. “On to matters of merging my soul and body, then?” 

“I came prepared,” Nick said. “We have to move fast. You unveil your portrait, I’ll prepare the spell.” 

Dorian turned to do so, but then turned back to the crowd standing around his room. 

“But… I don’t want to be seen…” 

“Oh, for Hell’s sake,” Hilda snipped. Everyone looked at her in surprise. It was never Hilda that raised her voice. “We haven’t the time for your vanity tantrums. Get your soul and get ready to become one.” 

A surprised silence flittered around the room before Dorian gave an irritated sniff and turned away from them to face the wall that hid his portrait. Nick blew out a breath and set to work himself, preparing a sacred circle for the spell. 

“Can I help?” Sabrina asked tentatively. 

“Form a circle with the others,” Nick directed. “Once we’re ready to begin, join hands and focus on the outcome of the spell. It will lend more power to the spell and enable me to channel it if I need to.” 

“You’re sure you’re capable of this, Mr. Scratch?” Zelda questioned. 

“I’m certain.” 

Nick left no room for argument. Zelda didn’t look convinced, but she gave a barely perceptible shrug of her shoulder and let him be. Within minutes, Nick stood in the center of their circle with Dorian and his portrait. Despite Hilda’s reprimand, Dorian was still doing what he could to hide his portrait. 

“Lay down next to your portrait, Dorian,” Nick directed. “No commentary about the portrait being seen. Prudence and I have already seen it.” Dorian glared at him but did as asked. 

“That’s my son, Mr. Scratch,” Amy spoke from her place in the circle. The look on her face was one not to be denied. “Don’t mess this up.” 

“I won’t,” Nick promised. It was her son that played a large role in Sabrina’s fate. He absolutely would not mess this up. He closed his eyes, took a big breath, then exhaled to prepare himself. When he opened his eyes, he rolled his shoulders once and nodded to himself. He could do this. 

The spell was complex. Each component built on the last, required the utmost concentration. Though surrounded by powerful witches, Nick existed in a world where it was just him, Dorian, and Dorian’s soul. In that moment, it was the second most important spell he had ever performed, the first being the moment he absorbed the Dark Lord to protect Sabrina. 

His voice rose. Power radiated from him. Around him, the Spellmans, Prudence, and Amy all took steps back, forced backwards by the sheer force coming off of him. Nick and Dorian were obscured by blazing silvery light. 

An earsplitting crack echoed through the bar. Glasses shattered, bottles of liquor exploded. The light faded, the dust settled. Nick lowered his arms slowly, his chest heaving. On the floor, Dorian’s portrait was in ruins. Dorian himself lay sprawled in the rubble, gasping for breath, eyes wide. 

“Dorian, darling?” Amy took a tentative step forward. 

“Mum?” Dorian shifted his head to look at his mother. 

“Are you…?” she trailed off. 

“Whole.” Dorian nodded once, eyes on his mother. “I’m whole.’ 

He sat up slowly. He was disoriented, but the power coursing through him was palpable. He looked around the room, taking in each face. When his eyes fell on Nick, Nick stepped forward and offered him a hand. 

“Nicholas.” Dorian clasped his hand and allowed Nick to pull him to his feet. “You did it.” 

“I told you I would,” Nick countered. “You’re okay?” 

“I’m… Whole…” He couldn’t quite believe it. “After all these years…” He released Nick’s hand and turned to the Sabrinas. “Sister – or is it sisters? – I’m ready if are.” His eyes narrowed as the fact that he was once more whole and soon to be king caught up to him. Everyone in the room saw the shift, the moment Dorian went from aloof bartender to Prince of Hellfire. “There is no ‘if.’ I’m whole once more.” He looked menacing. “I want my throne.” 

“You can have it,” the queen assured him. 

“Amy, are you sure it’s as simple as us wanting to merge?” Sabrina asked with an element of uncertainty. 

“It is,” Amy assured her. There was a maternal element to her that made her seem trustworthy. “The spell I performed was similar to the one performed on Dorian, but instead of souls, I split your beings.” She nearly smirked. “I thought that would have made it more likely for you to return to one being, being only half of yourself, but alas, here we are.” 

The two Sabrinas wore the exact same annoyed look. 

“We’re doing it now,” the queen stated. “Are we late to the party? Yes. But we’re doing it.” 

“There’s the Sabrina we know and love,” Zelda muttered. 

“Sabrina is right to ask questions,” Nick said. “Her safety is at stake.” 

“Never mind the time gap,” Ambrose added. 

“This will work,” Amy said with absolute certainty. “As long as both halves of you want to merge, this will work.” She looked between the Sabrinas. “The moment you two remained separate occurs over and over in the tomb, like a memory. It had faded to mere whispers with the length of time you remained apart, but once the two of you were together again and making your way back to your whole being, it began to grow stronger. You will watch it play out. Just before your halves turn to remain separate, the pair of you will need to grasp hands. You will merge and when you do, you will both become one and mend the gap.” 

“And then we take down my father,” the queen said, deciding to trust Amy. She turned to Sabrina. “Are you ready?” 

“More than,” Sabrina confirmed. They reached for another’s hand. Sabrina looked around at her family, at Prudence, then Nick. She couldn’t hold his eyes long, lest she lose her nerve. “We’ll be back. Rather, I’ll be back. As a whole.” 

“We’re coming with you,” Ambrose stated. 

The queen shook her head. 

“No. Dorian has to. The rest of you…” 

“We’re going with you, Sabrina,” Zelda spoke up. “This is not up for discussion.” 

“It’s too dangerous,” the queen insisted. “You’re not…” 

“We are, love,” Hilda said matter-of-factly. “You can save your breath.” 

“We’re going with you,” Nick added. Every eye in the room went to him. He ignored them, his eyes only for the two Sabrinas before him. “You’ll need our help. Every last one of us.” 

“Nick, no,” Sabrina shook her head. “No. Not you…” 

“You don’t get to make that call,” he told her, as steady as ever. “I can handle the demons, do or undo any bindings we may run into. I’m coming.” 

Sabrina knew there was no arguing, with him or anyone else. Prudence hadn’t protested, but she knew that was because Prudence knew she didn’t have to waste her breath. 

“Fine,” she agreed. “But you have to be careful. All of you…” 

“There’s no time for safety warnings.” Ambrose cracked his knuckles. “You have the spear?” 

“I have it,” the queen confirmed. A thought occurred to her. “Prudence?” She held the spear out to her. “Will you hold onto this? Until I’m merged? Just in case something goes wrong?” 

Prudence understood. The spear would work on Blackwood as well. If something went wrong, Prudence would have the weapon to end him. 

“I’ll keep it safe,” she promised, tucking it into the inside of her jacket. 

Without another word, the queen opened the portal to Hell. Sabrina followed her, Dorian and Amy behind them. Nick, Prudence, and the Spellmans followed, Prudence and Ambrose sticking close to Nick, just in case. He gave them each a single meaningful look to let him know he appreciated them, even if he didn’t feel as though he needed the support. Not this time. Still, it was nice to have it. 

It didn’t take them long to arrive at the tomb, or perhaps it was a trick of time and the way it moved faster in Hell. 

The group came to a halt. Just as Amy had told them, the memory of the Sabrinas choosing to remain separate played out. They stood and watched it unfold, listened in as the Sabrinas agreed that Ambrose would think their staying apart was a bad idea. 

“They knew it,” Ambrose grumbled. Prudence elbowed him to shut him up. The Sabrinas wished one another well and skipped off to their respective destinations. 

“How soon will they replay?” Sabrina asked Amy. 

“Momentarily,” Amy assured her. “They are forever trying to close the gap you created. Had they faded away entirely, you would have been stuck in halves forever and the time gap would have collapsed. You would have wished for the Pagans once the resulting consequences were over.” 

“No need,” Sabrina shook. “We’re ending this, now.” 

She stepped forward. The queen went with her. The others hedged closer, watching, waiting. The memory played out again. Nick felt his heart beating between his ears as his body tightened with anticipation. 

“Let’s do this.” Sabrina held her hands out. 

“It’s time,” the queen agreed. She held her hands out as well, but didn’t take Sabrina’s, not yet. Neither of them dared think about what would happen, both next with overthrowing the Dark Lord and after, when she returned back to Greendale as a whole. 

Together, they watched the memory unfold. As the Sabrinas made to turn to walk in opposite directions, the queen and Sabrina grasped hands. 

The pain was blinding, searing. Their screams echoed through the cavernous chamber. Both Nick and Ambrose started forward. Prudence stopped them with outstretched arms. 

“Wait,” she directed in a hushed voice. 

Zelda and Hilda grasped hands. Both looked horrified. Amy and Dorian observed like it were an entertaining movie, their relation apparent in the moment. 

Light as bright as that of Michael filled the chamber. The Sabrinas rose several feet off the ground. Their bodies began to bend and meld, their screams continued to echo.

And then, everything stopped. 

The light faded. 

The screams ceased. 

For just a moment, a sole Sabrina hung suspended in the air. She looked shaken, horrified. 

And then, she fell to the ground. 

“Sabrina!” 

Nick was the first one to her. He collapsed to his knees and helped her sit upright. 

“Nick!” she gasped. “Nick!” Her eyes were wide, fearful. Tears sprung to them. “Nick!” The tears breeched their dam and started to pour down her cheeks. “Nick… Nick, I’m so sorry… I’m sorry…” 

“Shhh,” Nick hushed. He tucked her hair behind her ear. His fingers grazed the brand he had placed there. He knew by touch it was a double S. 

Sabrina Spellman. 

“But… I…” She looked at her aunts. “Zelda, Hilda… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I put you through so much… Ambrose…” 

“Is she okay?” Zelda pushed her way forward. “Sabrina?” 

“Auntie…” Tears fell harder. Her words continued on, incoherent and babbling. “I’m so sorry. You did so much for me, and I’m not yours…” She shook her head. “All of you… And those souls… I did horrible things…” 

Nick understood. 

“She has all of her memories, from both halves,” he realized. “Everything is hitting her all at once.” 

“That’s a side effect I should have mentioned,” Amy shrugged. “None of her memories or actions in the last few months have been forgotten and she’ll have to cope with them, the good and the bad. There’s no time to deal with it now, however. We have a throne to overthrow.” 

“She’s in no state,” Hilda argued. She bustled her way to Sabrina’s side as well. “We need to get her home.” 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. “No. I have to abdicate. I have to. Now.” 

“Now we’re making sense.” Dorian clapped his hands together with near glee. 

“Sabrina, you’re upset,” Hilda tried. 

“Your abdication can wait another day,” Zelda agreed. “Dorian, you waited all this time. You can wait twenty-four more hours.” 

Sabrina protested weakly as her aunts helped her to her feet. 

“She needs to do it now,” Nick said knowingly. The aunts looked at him as though he had lost his mind. “She needs to overthrow the Dark Lord, abdicate, and get the Heaven above ground. And stay there.” He met Sabrina’s eyes. “If she still wants to abdicate.” 

“I do.” She looked right in his eyes so he would know she meant it. “I do. Now.” 

She was desperate to abdicate, to rid herself of the weight of the queendom. Nick understood that. He knew how Hell worked, why she was desperate to get out of it. Her queendom had been its own sort of torture, her power both overwhelming and stifled by her father. She was afraid to keep her ties any longer than necessary. 

“But…” 

“Let her abdicate,” Nick cut Hilda off. “I know what it looks like. I know she’s falling apart and all you want is to get her home and take care of her. We all want that.” He gave Sabrina a meaningful look. “But Hell has her in its grasp. She’s fighting it, and she needs to get free of it so she can begin to process all of this. As soon as Dorian is on the throne, she can go home. For good. I’ll take her myself.” 

“Sabrina?” Zelda asked. “Is this what you want?” 

Slowly, Sabrina nodded. Her heart felt like it was been shredded into a thousand pieces, then shredded again. Every awful thing she had done as queen played through her mind, alongside all the things she had done to cause her family and friends to be in harm’s way. It was next to impossible not to be crippled by the guilt, pain, and heartache she felt, all at once. She somehow found the last ounce of strength she possessed and called upon it. 

“I’ll need to dress,” she said, holding onto that strength. “The Dark Lord expects a certain level of appearance. I’ll call the court to Pandemonium and,” she took a shuttering breath, “end him.” 

“That doesn’t sound like much of a plan,” Ambrose observed. 

“I can’t make much of a plan,” Sabrina shook her head. “I don’t have it in me. Nothing in this place ever goes according to plan anyway, so why make one?” 

“We’ll need to disguise ourselves,” Nick was willing to do the thinking for her. “Zelda, Hilda, Prudence, you’ll be her handmaids. The rest of us, we’ll be demons.” 

“I’d like to be a king, thanks,” Dorian drawled. “Demons are – ugly. 

“You will be a king,” Nick told him with no patience. “But only after Sabrina puts you on the throne. The hordes of Hell will know you aren’t a king if they see you in any other disguise before then. There are too many demons for them to know each of them, but only a handful of kings.” 

“Fine,” Dorian rolled his eyes. “Make me an attractive demon, at least?” 

“Enough from you,” Amy scolded. “I won’t need a disguise, given my status. I’ll ensure the right people come when summoned.” 

“They’ll come,” Sabrina said with confidence. “They won’t dare disobey me.” Her memories from her queen half ensured that they were fearful of her. She looked at her hands. “But first…” She looked around, searching for something. Again, Nick knew what she was looking for. He said a quick spell and a piece of wood appeared in his hand. He held it out to her without a word. She managed a small, grateful smile that was full of sadness and pain. “Thank you,” she whispered as she accepted it. They both knew it was a thanks of so much more than a piece of wood. She held it in one hand and said the spell. Flames bloomed to life, strong and hot. She sighed in relief. “My magic is back.” 

“The sigils fell away when you merged,” Nick told her. “And your magic was always there.” 

His words were a vote of confidence. She stood a little taller, determined to put this Hell-themed chapter of her life behind her, once and for all. 

The transformation began. She started with Zelda, changing her from dominating aunt to a serving handmaiden, then Hilda, the transformation from doting aunt more believable. Ambrose and Nick helped, transforming first Dorian and then each other to hideous demons. Ambrose took the task of transforming Prudence. When they were finished, Sabrina and Amy were the only ones that held their appearance. 

“My chambers first,” she decided. “Then Pandemonium.” 

She led the way, determination growing with each step as she thought over each element of what she had to do. It wasn’t just her father she had to overcome. It was Lilith, Caliban. She wasn’t worried about the hierarchy of Hell. She felt positive they would accept Dorian far more readily than they accepted her. It was everything that came before she put Dorian on the throne that had her stomach in knots. 

But she would do it. 

She would abdicate, get out of Hell, and let the chips fall where they may once above ground.

The idea of facing what awaited her above ground only made her stomach twist more. 

Nick, Ambrose, and Dorian waited outside while Zelda, Hilda, and Prudence helped Sabrina dress and Amy flittered off to assume her duties as a member of Hell’s ruling counsel. Sabrina was quiet as they helped her lace into her elaborate gown. She prayed it was the last gown she would ever have to be wrenched into. 

“Sabrina, dear, you don’t have to do this,” Hilda chirped. “Not right now. You’re not ready…” 

“I have to be ready,” Sabrina said. “Nick’s right. I have to do this. Right now. I need to get the Heaven out of Hell. For good.” 

She couldn’t explain it in a way her aunts would understand. They saw her as overwhelmed, emotional, perhaps even weak. She was all of those things, but if she stayed in Hell a moment longer than she needed to be, she wouldn’t make it. Nick knew that. He knew because he had been there. In that moment, she wondered at the fact that he had held on for so long because she herself clinging to the edge by her fingertips. 

Prudence gave an extra strong tug of her corset. Sabrina gasped. 

“Prudence!” 

“Just making sure you look the part,” she said by way of explanation. Sabrina glared at her in the mirror. Prudence smirked back. 

It was Zelda who approached with her crown. Prudence stepped aside. Zelda settled the crown on Sabrina’s soft hair, then placed her hands on her niece’s shoulders. Even disguised as a handmaid, there was something familiar about her. Something comforting.

“If you insist on doing this now, do it completely,” she told her sternly. “You are a Spellman, Sabrina. You have been raised and loved by this family for nearly seventeen years. It does not matter who your blood father is. Edward knew, but he loved you all the same. Don’t you dare doubt that you are a Spellman, especially when you face down the Dark Lord.” 

Sabrina was dumbstruck. 

“He knew?” she managed. 

“He knew.” Zelda was gentle. “He wanted to allow you to find your own path.” She squeezed Sabrina’s shoulders. “You may have taken the twisted path full of obstacles, but all the same, I do think you have found your way.” 

A single tear leaked down Sabrina’s cheek. 

“None of that.” Zelda flicked the tear away with a swipe. “You must stand tall and draw upon your courage now. You can cry when this is over.” 

Sabrina nodded. 

“Thank you, auntie,” she nearly whispered. “For – everything…” 

“None of that,” Zelda said again. “Now, are you ready?” 

Sabrina surveyed herself in the mirror. The half of her that ruled Hell remembered a time in which she thought she looked beautiful in the elaborate gowns the Dark Lord insisted on. She also remembered how that changed, how even as she grew more powerful and less feeling, the gowns began to feel heavy and burdensome. 

But not as heave as the crown on her head. 

“Almost,” she answered Zelda. She turned to Prudence. Without a word, Prudence held the spear out to her. Sabrina held it in her hands for a moment, studying it. She swore she could feel the power within it. She artfully tucked it into the folds of her dress where she could grasp it quickly. She then looked back at Prudence. “Prudence?” 

“Sabrina?” 

She lowered her voice in an effort to have a quiet moment between them. 

“Protect Nick. I know it can’t be easy for him to be down here…” Panic flooded her chest. She fought to breath, the corset choking her ability to breathe into her diaphragm the way she needed to. 

“He’s down here for you,” Prudence reminded her. “I’ll do what I can, but he is always going to choose you over himself.” She leveled Sabrina with her most serious expression. “When this is all over, I hope you remember that about him.” 

It was the best she was going to get about Prudence. 

With as much of a deep breath as she could manage, Sabrina turned back to her aunts. 

“I’m ready.” 

She didn’t allow herself to look Nick or Ambrose in the eyes as she emerged from her room. She thought she might lose her nerve if she did. Ambrose had been by her side all along, even when he was mad at her. He had stood by her, no questions asked. Nick was – Nick. He had sacrificed himself for her, suffered because of her. She had to compartmentalize the fact that he was in Hell right now. If she let herself think too much about it, the guilt of it all might be the end of her. 

She led the way to Pandemonium. She looked the part of queen, her shoulders back, head high. She buried every feeling, ever pang of fear, every shred of guilt. Only the prospect of ending this once and for all and rebuilding her life kept her putting one foot in front of the other. 

“Ah, there she is!” 

The Dark Lord greeted her from the dais. 

“Hello, father.” 

Sabrina forced her words to be steady, strong. 

“Excuse me?” Lucifer prompted. 

“Daddy,” Sabrina corrected. On the outside, she looked as cool and collected as a queen of Hell should be. On the inside, her stomach rolled. 

“Do you bring good tidings?” he asked. “Although I expected to see Faustus’ head on a platter.” 

“I do bring good tidings,” Sabrina assured him. She ascended the dais. She didn’t look back, but she was aware of where her family was, where Prudence, Nick, Dorian, and Amy were. They were all nearby, ready to act if they felt like they needed to. “I have news that change everything.” 

The Dark Lord looked delighted, entirely oblivious to the fact that his minutes were limited. Sabrina steeled herself, found somehow one more ounce of courage from the very deepest part of her. 

“Do tell,” he encouraged. “What good news do you bring Daddy?” 

“I wasn’t successful in bringing Blackwood to his knees,” Sabrina began. “But I have been successful in other endeavors, however.” She fully faced him. She wanted to look him in the eye when she brought him down. “I bring you an heir.” 

Lucifer’s eyes grew big. 

“An heir?” he repeated. “I wasn’t aware that you and Caliban…” He shook his head, beaming. “Never mind. I’m going to be a grandfather.” He smirked. “The little unholy blessing can call me ‘Granddaddy.’” 

“But, we haven’t…” 

Caliban spoke up from the crowd but fell silent almost as quickly. Sabrina didn’t dare look. She knew his silence had been caused by one of her own. She didn’t care who, so long as they weren’t in danger. She turned to face the masses. 

“You may recall my initial resistance at being queen,” she began. “This wasn’t what I wanted. But circumstances changed and I embraced my destiny.” She rolled her shoulders back. “Except this was never my destiny. Not really.” 

The Dark Lord realized something was amiss. He came closer. 

“What are you talking about, daughter?” he hissed. “This throne, this realm, has always been your destiny.” 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. She looked at her father. “It was your firstborn’s.” 

“You.” Lucifer said it as a warning. “You are my firstborn.” 

“I’m not.” Sabrina stood her ground. “My brother is.” 

There was a general mumbling of interest. 

“Your brother hasn’t been born,” Lucifer said through clenched teeth. “He will, however, take your place in line for the throne as a male. Such is the way of Hell.”

“Hell has no rules,” Sabrina countered. “Not truly, when you’re a Morningstar. You’ve taught me that.” Her hand wanted to drift to the spear, but she refrained. One false move and she could find herself on the receiving end of the Dark Lord’s wrath. “You make up rules as you go to suit your needs and whims. You lie and you manipulate. You harm the innocent and celebrate the wicked.” 

“What are you up to?” Lucifer asked through narrowed eyes. 

“Making things right,” Sabrina stated. “I never wanted to be queen. I was manipulated into it, fell victim to the whims of this forsaken place. But I am not a Morningstar.” She somehow managed to stand taller. “I am Sabrina Spellman. I may have signed your book, but I did not sign my name away.” 

She produced the spear. 

For the first time, she saw a true flash of fear cross Lucifer’s eyes. 

“Where did you get that?” His words were both demanding and rushed. 

“That’s not important,” she shook her head. “What matters is what I’m going to do with it.” 

There was no hesitation. She drew her arm back and swung upward. The spear pierced her father with a howl, driving into his groin. She had chosen her aim on purpose. She wanted to disable him first, let him see Dorian take the crown and her abdicate before she finished him. 

Chaos broke out amongst the hordes of hell as the Dark Lord fell to the dais, howling in pain as black blood flowed from him. Sabrina had found her power, however. For the first time in a long time, she felt like herself. 

“Silence!” 

Her voice rang out throughout the cavern. The assembled fell quiet. 

“What in the name of…” Lilith rushed towards the dais, eyes flashing. 

“Stop her!” Sabrina ordered. 

Nick and Ambrose moved together. They each seized one of Lilith’s arms and held her tight. She struggled, protested. Sabrina was all too happy to fire off a spell to silence her. 

“I never wanted to be queen,” she repeated to those gathered before her. “As of now, I abdicate my title and claim to this throne and realm.” 

“You can’t do that,” hissed the Dark Lord as he tried in vain to quell the bleeding. “You can’t kill me and abdicate the throne, leave Hell without a leader.” 

“I told you I brought back an heir,” Sabrina reminded him. “My half-brother. Your firstborn son. Dorian.” She waved her hand and Dorian’s demonic cover disappeared. The Dark Lord began to laugh. 

“I suppose he is your literal half-brother,” he said. “His body and soul are separate…” 

“Not anymore,” Sabrina shook her head. 

“You’ve made a lot of enemies in Greendale,” Dorian drawled as he climbed the dais. “Your former host was all too happy – and all too capable – to bring my flesh and soul back together.” 

Somehow, the Dark Lord knew which demon Nick masqueraded as. He looked right at him. 

“I should have ended you when I had the chance,” he hissed. 

“Likewise,” Nick fired back, still in disguise. Lilith struggled harder. He tightened his grip. 

“You were afraid of Dorian’s power,” Sabrina continued. “The son of two fallen angels, an heir more powerful than you. You’re too vain to allow such things. So you manipulated him while he was too young to know better, threatened him with death.” She tilted her chin a bit. “It seems you have an M.O.” 

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lucifer growled. He tried to get to his feet but stumbled back to his knees. “Dorian was a mistake. He wasn’t supposed to be…” 

“There goes any hopes of a heartfelt father/son reconciliation on Daddy’s deathbed,” Dorian drawled. 

“I know exactly what I’m talking about,” Sabrina stated. “It’s over for you, _Daddy._ I give up my title and bequeath my throne to the rightful ruler of Hell, Dorian Morningstar.” 

An eerie silence filled the room. Sabrina was undeterred. 

“This is Dorian Morningstar,” she informed those gathered. “Son of Pandemonium, Gentleman of Darkness.” 

Beelzebub stepped forward. 

“How do we know this isn’t another one of your tricks?” he demanded. 

“He can wear the King’s Crown.” Amy stepped forward. In her hands, she held an intricate gold and black crown. Sabrina knew it. Her half self had admired it once and her father had told her it was meant only for his head, forevermore. “Only a true heir of the throne will be able to wear it.” 

“How dare you go into my private quarters…” Lucifer was desperate. Sabrina could sense it. She had wounded him to a point in which he couldn’t fight back, whatever power the spear possessed effectively bringing him to his literal knees. “You will pay! All of you will pay!” 

“Oh, shut up,” Amy snapped. “I’ve waited for this moment for centuries. The only thing better than having you watch your son take the throne is knowing my son has been restored to his whole being, no longer subjected to the half-life you sentenced him to.” 

“You know not what you do!” Lucifer’s eyes flashed red. Amy shrugged. 

“I’m a mother,” she told him simply. “I will do anything for my son. It seems that particular component of being a parent skipped you over.” She turned her back to Lucifer and held the crown out. “Sabrina? Will you do the honors?” 

Sabrina understood. If she crowned her brother with the King’s Crown, a crown only the rightful heir could wear, the hordes would accept him. She took the crown and turned to Dorian. 

“Kneel,” she directed. 

Dorian held her eyes as he dropped to one knee. She thought he might look a bit afraid, not entirely convinced this was actually happening. She understood that, too. She felt the same way. 

She didn’t bother with grand words or a speech to convince the masses. Words didn’t work in Hell. Actions did. If this crown fit Dorian’s head, there would be no doubt as to his true position. She made a show of holding it over his head for a moment before lowering it to his head. She removed her hands and took a step back. The crown glowed as Dorian returned to his feet. The glow spread from his head, down his body, all the way to his feet. His eyes flashed white as he drew his arms out to his sides. 

“All hail King Dorian!” Beelzebub bellowed. 

“All hail King Dorian!” the hordes echoed, dropping to their knees. 

For just a moment, Sabrina let herself feel relief. The hierarchy of Hell had accepted Dorian. That was one massive hurdle overcome. Only her father remained. Next to her, Dorian practically shook with power. 

“What shall my first act be?” he wondered. His eyes fell upon Caliban. “Ah, yes. The clay prince. Step forward.” Caliban remained rooted to his spot, defiant but still silent. “I said, come forward.” Caliban didn’t move. Dorian sighed dramatically. “Fine. We’ll do this the hard way.” He waved his hand. Caliban flew to the dais and landed with a crash. 

“Go to Heaven,” Caliban spat at him as he struggled to his feet, his voice restored. Dorian didn’t allow him to stand. He held out his hand to keep Caliban on his knees. 

“But I’m already in Hell,” he quipped. “And the king to boot.” He considered Caliban. “You tried to overthrow the throne. Had it been my father…” he kicked Lucifer who yelped in pain. More black blood gushed from his wound. “I would be more lenient. But I have a soft spot for my sister here and I don’t take kindly to people threatening her, nor the hamlet of Greendale. I’m rather fond of that place as well. You’ll have to be punished. You understand, don’t you?”

“You can’t just come down here and claim the crown,” Caliban tried. 

“Technically, it was given to me,” Dorian shrugged. “Never mind that it was rightfully mine.” He looked at Sabrina. “What do you think, sister? What’s a fit punishment for the clay man that tried to overthrow you and caused much of this chaos in the first place?” 

Sabrina studied Caliban. She couldn’t deny that he was handsome. He had even been kind at points. In another setting, another time, she may have even fallen for him. She remembered, too, his lips on her Hell half, his hands exploring. She cringed internally, felt an unexpected wave of guilt as she caught sight of Nick in his demon form. She had done nothing wrong, not really. They weren’t together. She could kiss whomever she wanted. But it certainly felt like she had done something wrong. She blew out a breath, her mind made up. 

“I think a hundred years of hard labor will do,” she determined. Caliban’s eyes bulged. 

“No… Sabrina…” He tried to crawl towards her. Sabrina took a step back. Dorian stopped his progress with another wave of his hand, keeping him on his hands and knees. “Sabrina…” 

She understood his desperation. Hard labor in Hell was one of the worst punishments, a long, hard, terrible sentence. She found she didn’t care. She only wanted to end her father and return above ground. 

“As they say on the PSAs in the mortal world, you do the crime, you do the time,” she informed him. Dorian chuckled. 

“I do think I’ll miss your wit,” he told her. “But we have other matters to attend to now, don’t we?” 

“Our father, for one,” Sabrina nodded. “But also…” She found her, still held between Nick and Ambrose. “Lilith.” 

“Ah, Lilith!” Dorian exclaimed. “Do come forward, won’t you?” 

Nick and Ambrose shoved her forward. She stumbled a few steps before regaining her balance. Like Caliban, she held her ground. 

“I’ll do no such thing,” she stated. “I carry in me the rightful heir of the Kingdom of Hell!” 

“I’m actually the rightful heir,” Dorian reminded her. “Being the first born and all. Big thanks to my sister for causing so much trouble my mother had to get involved to get me here.” He spread his arms wide. Sabrina rolled her eyes in a fond sort of way. It would be entertaining, if nothing else, to watch Dorian rule in his flippant manner, so long as he actually ruled. Something told her he would, albeit with his own flair. “Your son – our half-brother, you do get around, don’t you, Daddy? – will have his turn on the throne a millennium from now, if I’m ready to retire. You, however, won’t be around to see it.” 

“I beg your pardon?” Lilith countered. “You won’t kill me…” 

“No,” Sabrina agreed, surprising herself. “We won’t kill you.” 

“We won’t?” Dorian asked. “Because I was sort of planning to…” 

“Death is the easy way out for her,” Sabrina stated. “It will hurt her far, far more to be kept prisoner, to watch from afar as her son is raised by another, as he grows into a respectable prince, a just leader.” Dorian nodded his agreement. “She shall be kept close, monitored until she gives birth. The baby will be taken from her, raised by…” She faltered. She didn’t know who would raise her baby brother. 

“Me.” Amy stepped forward. “I raised one son to be, if not conventional, just and steadfast. I would be happy to do it again.” 

“Thank you,” Sabrina was sincere. “Amy will raise our brother. Once the babe is born, Lilith will serve the kingdom in whatever manner you see fit. She will serve in that capacity for five hundred years and then be considered for probation.” Sabrina eyed her. “If she’s on her best behavior.”

“She’ll have a heavy guard as well,” Dorian agreed. “She’s shifty, that Lilith.” 

“You cannot take my son from me,” Lilith looked wild, desperate. She raised her hands to cast a spell. Sabrina was quicker. Within a moment, Lilith was tightly bound in Damascus steel. “You bitch!” 

“Right back at you,” Sabrina spat. “I told you I would end you. This is me, staying true to my word, something you know nothing about. Except I’m doing it with a lot more grace than you showed me or those I care about.” 

“Take her away,” Dorian ordered a pair of demonic guards. He nudged Caliban. “This one, too.” 

They did not go quietly. Several more demons joined to get them out of the room, manhandling them as they forced them towards their respective punishments. 

“Let that be a lesson for any of you gathered here today that dare try to stand in my way,” Dorian told the masses. He looked to Sabrina once more. “I believe there is only one more matter to cover.” Sabrina nodded just once. 

“I’ll do the honors.” 

She approached Lucifer who had fallen suspiciously quiet. He was weak, his color ashen, his breath labored. She stood over him, not caring that her shoes were in his blood, that the blood was soaking into the hem of her dress. 

“Sabrina,” Lucifer warned, “you don’t want to do this…” 

“I do,” she assured him. “This is one of the first things since I turned sixteen that I have wanted – really and truly wanted – to do. No one manipulated me. No one decided for me. This is all me.” She kneeled next to him. Unlike mortal blood, his was hot. It soaked the fabric of her dress, burned into her skin. She took the crown from her head and settled it on his chest. “I’m done being your puppet.” 

“You don’t have to do this,” Lucifer hissed. “I can make you great, Sabrina. I can help you harness your powers…” 

“I don’t want to be great,” she informed him. “I want to be happy.” She pressed the tip of the spear into the skin just over his heart to let him know she was serious. “My name is Sabrina Spellman,” she said again. “And I am the one that ended you.” 

She pushed the blade into him with a strength that came from somewhere deep inside of her. The yell that came from the Dark Lord was otherworldly, demonic and haunted. Sabrina pushed the blade in deeper, just to make sure. He started to turn black, to crack. With one last cry, he shattered, covering her in his black blood. She was careful to seal her mouth shut, least any of his essence enter her. 

She sat hack on her heels and exhaled when he was gone. Around her, there was cheering, chants of ‘all hail King Dorian.’ She barely registered any of it. All she knew was that it was over. 

She was free. 

“Sabrina.” Dorian was at her side. He put a gentle hand on her. “It’s done.” 

“It’s done,” she echoed. “I’m free of Hell, once and for all.” 

“You’re free,” he confirmed. “And you, your family, your coven? You have my protection for eternity.” He smirked a bit. “Even if you no longer worship me.” 

“Thank you, Dorian,” she said, meaning her gratitude to cover so much more than just his offer of alliance. 

“Thank _you_ ,” he replied. “I never thought I’d get to live as myself again. I had given up on even the idea of it. You have saved me, Sabrina.” He squeezed her shoulder. “Let’s get you home.” He helped her to her feet. “Do me one favor?” Sabrina looked leery. “Two, really.” Her suspicion increased. “First, take care of my bar. I don’t care what you do with it, but it is such a lovely place...” 

“We’ll figure out something,” Sabrina assured him. It was the least she could do. “What’s the second thing?” 

He smiled a bit and leaned in so only she would hear. 

“Take care of Nicholas. You already know he’ll take care of you.” 

Sabrina blinked back the tears that sprung to her eyes. 

“I will,” she promised. 

Dorian turned her toward Zelda and Hilda. They had reassumed their appearance, as had Prudence, Nick, and Ambrose. 

“She’s all yours,” he told them. “Take her home.” He caught sight of Prudence and snapped his fingers. The spear flew to him. “Love that trick,” he said, appreciating his newfound powers. “Prudence? I believe it is your turn to wield the spear.”

“It is.” She accepted the spear from Dorian and tucked it into her clothing once more. “Should my father’s soul make his way here, do your worst.” 

“With pleasure,” Dorian assured her. 

“Come on, love,” Hilda took Sabrina by the elbow. “Let’s go home.” 

“We’ll be allowed to teleport out?” Nick asked Dorian. 

“I’ll allow it,” he agreed. 

The aunts closed in around Sabrina. Prudence, Nick, and Ambrose formed a circle around them. Nick uttered the words and in a blink, they were in the mortuary yard. 

The cool, fresh air slammed into Sabrina. She gasped, sucking it in, as finally, finally, everything she had fought off while ending her father caught up with her. Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, weak and overwhelmed. She fought for her breath, tried to make out the memories flashing through her head at rapid fire, each seemingly worse than the last. The things she had done as each of her halves but also before, the things she had said… 

“I’m sorry,” she choked out, desperate to apologize. She grabbed at her corset, trying to loosen it. It was strapped tight. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry…” 

“Shh,” Hilda hushed as she knelt next to her. “It’s okay, love. Everything is going to be okay…” 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. “No. Nothing is okay. Nothing… I messed up… I did… So many things…” 

“Sabrina,” Zelda tried, “let’s go inside, get you cleaned up. You’ll feel better after a bath.” 

Tears streamed down Sabrina’s cheeks. She didn’t remember starting to cry, but she couldn’t stop. 

“I won’t,” she told them. “I won’t… I… I can’t…” She couldn’t put into words what she felt, what she was going through. She curled her fingers into the dirt, trying to ground herself, to calm herself. It didn’t work. She closed her eyes and cried, her attempts to rid herself of her corset abandoned as she allowed it to squeeze the air out of her. Her aunts moved away, but a soft touch landed on her hand. 

“Sabrina.” Nick’s voice was soft, gentle. “Look at me.” 

It was too much, Nick being so kind to her after she had been so flippant to his own needs when he returned from Hell traumatized and damaged. She cried harder, curled into herself more, seeing herself call him a narcissist and dramatic when he had been hurting and insecure. She hated that he was seeing her like this, so low and weak, that he was being so _him_ even after she had basically ignored what was right in front of her when he needed her. She heard Hilda and Zelda, debating between themselves about what to do, thought Prudence and Ambrose were discussing their own thoughts on the matter. She couldn’t even stand. Nick’s fingers curled under her hand, pried it from the dirt. He laced his fingers with hers and squeezed tight. He didn’t let go. 

“Sabrina, let your aunts take you inside and get you cleaned up,” he said in that same gentle tone. “It may not seem like it right now, but I promise you, a bath will help. It won’t take away what your feeling, but it will wash away the blood and dirt. It’s a start to beginning to put one foot in front of another.” 

Sabrina didn’t look up, but her thoughts slowed and her breath began to even out. Slowly, her mind settled on one memory. In it, she saw Nick after Ambrose had gotten him clean and she had helped remove the Dark Lord’s remnants from him, curled into himself on the edge of his bed, freshly showered and recognizing the magnitude of what he had been through and what he had done. She lifted her eyes and found his.

He understood. While their experiences in Hell were vastly different, and she was enough of a woman to recognize his was far worse, far more traumatic, he understood. He knew what it was like to face one’s mistakes, to reckon with one’s actions. The look reflecting back at her, full of concern and something she dared not touch right then, made her willing to do anything he asked in that moment. If he had taken a shower after one of the worst moments of his life, she would do the same. 

“Go inside,” he prompted, his tone never changing. “Let your aunts take care of you. Clean up, get into bed, and have Hilda make you one of her teas so you can sleep. You don’t have to face anything else tonight. You’ve done enough.” 

Slowly, her eyes never leaving his, Sabrina rose to her knees. Nick mimicked her movements. While she paused, Nick, still slow in his movements, kept moving. His rising to his feet prompted her to do this same, her hand still in his tight, reassuring grip. 

“There,” he nodded approvingly. He squeezed her hand before he let go. Sabrina missed the contact immediately. She squeezed her hand in a fist to keep from reaching from him again. “Rest, Sabrina. You can face things tomorrow.” 

Sabrina considered him for a moment. She didn’t think, just moved. She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. She noted how he tensed under her touch, but she didn’t care. He hesitated for a moment before he encircled her with his own arms in a loose hug. 

It wasn’t enough for her.

She hugged him tighter, hoping he would respond in kind, not caring that she was filthy and covered in the Dark Lord’s blood. She didn’t care that her aunts were asking her to come with them, that one of them, Zelda, she thought, even reached for her. She didn’t care that Ambrose was questioning if she was okay, that Prudence was asking Nick the same thing. 

Nick swallowed down a wave of emotions and tightened his embrace. He couldn’t deny that it was good, to have her in his arms again. But nothing about their current situation was okay. As much as he wanted to stay with her, to make sure she okay, to comfort her, he knew in his gut that she needed to go inside with her aunts, without him. He knew, too, that he needed some time to process everything that had just happened before he spent any more time with her. 

“Hilda?” Hilda looked his way. He gently extracted himself from Sabrina’s grasp, careful to make sure he squeezed her hands as he removed her arms from around his neck, hoping that let her know he wasn’t rejecting her, but doing what she needed, whether she recognized it right then or not. “Take her inside, get her out of that dress so she can take a deep breath again. Give her one of your teas once she’s had a bath.” He considered Sabrina for a moment, her tears falling freely but quietly. “Make it a strong one. She doesn’t need to dream tonight.” 

Hilda looped an arm around Sabrina’s waist and pulled her into her side. Sabrina rested her weary head on her aunt’s shoulder. 

“We’ll take care of her,” Hilda promised Nick. “But Nicholas? Make sure you take care of yourself too, love.” She considered him, saw that he was weary and anxious. He cared so much for her niece. He needed someone to care for him, too. “I’ll send Ambrose with some tea for you as well.” 

“I don’t need…” 

“None of that,” Hilda cut off Nick’s protest. “You’re in need of a dreamless sleep yourself.” 

Nick felt an odd sort of feeling overtake him at the idea of allowing someone else to take care of him, even if just in the form of a delivered tea blend. He merely nodded his agreement. 

“We’ll take care of her,” Zelda echoed, coming to Sabrina’s other side with a rare show of softness. Ambrose stood next to her, the Spellmans in solidarity. “Nicholas, Prudence, you both did well today.” Zelda looked at Nick. “I imagine it wasn’t the most pleasant day for you, especially.” Nick avoided her eyes, proving she was right. “Prudence, keep that spear safe?” 

“I’ll guard it with my life,” she promised. She looped her arm through Nick’s. “Come, Nicholas.” 

In a moment, they were on the Academy steps. 

“Unholy shit,” Nick breathed when he was free of the Spellmans and no longer felt the need to hold himself together. He hinged forward, hands on his knees, sucking in air and finally letting his guard down. His stomach rolled. He lunged for the concrete railing and vomited what little contents left in his stomach, having eaten very little that day. After a few dry heaves confirmed he was empty, he straightened up and wiped his hand across his mouth, making a face at the bitter taste stomach acid left on his tongue. Despite being empty, his stomach still clenched and unclenched angrily. “Fuck.” 

“Can I do anything?” Prudence asked carefully, feeling a bit lost on how to help him. Nick shook his head. 

“Sabrina’s not the only one that needs a shower,” he said as took another deep breath. A shower felt like the logical next step, something he could do right then. Just like he had told Sabrina, it would help him take the next step forward. “Hilda’s offer of tea is looking better and better, too.” He suddenly wanted nothing more than to sleep without consequence for as long as he possibly could.

“I imagine Ambrose will be by with it soon,” Prudence agreed, eyes still on him. “I know you’re not okay, Nicky, not after everything that’s transpired. If I can do anything…” 

“I need a shower,” Nick said again. He was suddenly hyper aware of the fact that his clothing was now stained with the Dark Lord’s blood after Sabrina’s desperate embrace. His rational brain knew the blood was harmless, that the vessel it belonged to was gone forevermore. But the side of him that knew what it was like to have the Dark Lord in him desperately needed to scrub himself free of any trace of their trip to Hell. “And some sleep.” 

“Please, Nicky, don’t do anything stupid,” Prudence near begged as they entered the Academy. “You’ve come so far…” 

“I can cope, Prudence,” he assured her, because despite the thoughts and feelings whirling through him, he felt surprisingly stable. It marked major progress. “I just – need some time.” 

“If you need anything…” 

“I know where you are,” Nick finished. They stopped at the top of the stairs. They found themselves there a lot lately it seemed, parting ways to their respective rooms with a heaviness hanging over them. “What about you, Pru? You okay?” 

Prudence’s hand went to the helm of the spear tucked into her belt. 

“Better than I’ve been a while,” she assured Nick. “I only have to find my own father and repeat Sabrina’s act of bravery.” She saw the conflict in Nick’s features at the mention of the witch. “Her aunts will take care of her tonight, Nick. She’ll be okay.” 

“I know what she’s going through,” Nick said. “Not exactly, by any means, but I have an idea.” A part of him desperately wanted to turn around and go back to the mortuary, post up by Sabrina’s bed, and watch over her while she slept. The rest of him knew he couldn’t, for both of their sakes. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Pru.” 

They parted ways. Nick went straight for his bathroom and turned his shower on as hot as he could stand it. He stripped off his ruined clothes and without much thought, set fire to them, let the magical flames disintegrate them, burn away the Dark Lord’s stain. 

Under the hot stream of water, Nick finally let himself break down. He didn’t cry, but his anxiety was palpable. He had gotten what he wanted, to a point. Sabrina had chosen the earth realm, given up her crown, decided to be a Spellman. The Dark Lord was gone, for good this time. Dorian was in Hell, an ally if ever needed. Things had worked out favorably, even if it meant not one but two more trips to Hell for himself. 

But there was still so much to wade through. Blackwood was still at large. They couldn’t rest on their laurels. Now that Sabrina was merged and the Dark Lord vanquished, he and Ambrose – and Sabrina – needed to join the others in their pursuit of Blackwood. That battle, too, would be difficult, full of risks and danger. They still knew little about the Eldritch Terrors, let alone how to find Blackwood, even if it did seem they now knew how to defeat him with the acquisition of the Spear of Longinus. He couldn’t begin to consider that they might not all make it out alive. 

Then there was Sabrina. While he had needed to disappear to cope, it would be the opposite for her. She would need her family, need the support, the reminder that she was loved. He himself had no idea where to begin now that he had the chance to win her back, her merged, Harvey out of the picture. When he came back to Greendale, he had thought it would be not easy, because far too much damage had been done between them for a simple ‘I’m sorry’ to soothe things, but at least without other obstacles. He hadn’t anticipated finding her in two halves or getting wrapped up in another epic adventure to save her. 

Now, Blackwood aside, there was an opportunity to move towards a place where they could discuss reconciliation. But that opportunity meant letting her into the pain he kept tucked away, pain he monitored, even nurtured, keeping it pruned and tended to so it didn’t overtake him like the weed that it was. It meant being brutally honest with her, reliving things he wanted to move on from, sharing things that might hurt her, but that had to be said if there was any chance at all at them coming out on the other side together. 

And no matter how much he wanted it, there was the fact that if they did come out on the other side of it together, she was it for him. There would be no one else, ever. Even if it was the one thing he wanted above all else, it was daunting, the idea that he would commit his very long life to loving one witch so wholly and completely, that he had found his forever as a mere teenager. 

He stayed under the hot flow of water for a long time. When he finally stepped out, he felt marginally better. He wrapped a towel around his waist and found Hilda’s promised tea waiting on his nightstand, already brewed and no doubt charmed to remain hot until he got to it. He pulled on a pair of boxers and got into bed. He took a couple sips of tea, thinking, wondering, worrying. He put the tea down and opened his nightstand. The marker was there. He picked it up, uncapped it, and held it over his palm, ready to write. 

He hesitated. 

He wanted to check on her. He knew she was physically safe, that her aunts were hovering over her, that Ambrose was nearby if she needed anything. And, he reminded himself, she was likely asleep now at the hands of Hilda. Any message he sent her would fade by morning.

He capped the marker and put it back in his nightstand. He gulped down the tea with no concern about how hot it was, suddenly desperate for sleep, for his mind to turn off. 

Within minutes, he was out cold, no dreams, no thoughts, no worries.

There would be plenty to face in the morning. But for now, he got to sleep. 

In peace. 

And peace was so very hard to come by these days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sabrina is one again. She's a mess. Nick went to Hell. He's a little bit less of a mess. But also a mess 
> 
> But that scene with Zelda crowning Sabrina. And then Sabrina asking Prudence to watch over Nick? Sigh. 
> 
> Thank you for reading this wild piece. I'm certain Part 4 will be nothing like it and we still have a bit to go - Blackwood, this big relationship talk... and you know, Sabrina coping with what's happened to her in recent months - but I appreciate each of you so much. It truly does mean the world to me when I check my email and see new comments or hear from you all on Instagram or Tumblr (not that I know how to use Tumblr well...) You've inspired me to write, to go after this as a career, to move across the country and get an MFA in screenwriting, to run my own show one day. 
> 
> Quarantine is making me mushy. And a lot better at double unders, but that's another story. 
> 
> Thank you for reading. Please let me know your thoughts and feelings on this update! 
> 
> (Also, I had a different outcome for Lilith. But last second gave her a more graceful punishment. Because so many of you like her, at least to a point. So I let her off a lot easier than planned...)


	18. Chapter EIghteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay - WOW to your responses to last chapter... Like... WOW. Thank you so so so much. 
> 
> Also? This chapter has my favorite scene in it from this whole story.

Sabrina gazed out the window, eyes drifting over the landscape sprawling from the Spellman mortuary. It was properly fall now, the trees brilliant colors, the grass browning, Hilda’s garden full of fall gourds and remnants of late summer vegetables that refused to give up just yet. She was content to sit there in her armchair, tea cupped between her hands, and think of nothing but the landscape for as long as she possible could. 

Of course, she wasn’t granted that luxury. 

“Cousin.” 

Ambrose joined her. He settled across from her with his own tea. 

“Cousin,” she echoed.

“How are you?” Ambrose asked carefully. She had kept to her room for most the morning and he hadn’t really had a moment to speak with her since their return from Hell the night before. Sabrina shrugged a shoulder. 

“I have no idea,” she admitted. She was certain Hilda had put something in her current cup of tea to take the edge off, something that wouldn’t knock her out but would temper her churning stomach, deep sadness, and growing anxiety. She glanced at Ambrose, hoping he knew the answer to one of her greatest concerns at the moment. “How is… Nick?” She was hesitant, not sure if it was her place to ask or else not sure she wanted to know the answer. “It’s just, he went to Hell yesterday, again, and I know he can’t be okay…” 

“He’s not _not_ okay,” Ambrose shared. “I spoke with him this morning, saw him at the Academy later. Hilda sent me with tea for him last night that helped him sleep and he seems to be doing well enough, all things considered.” He sipped his tea. “Nicholas has been through a lot, but I think he’s found a solid place to stand on. He’s able to cope now.”

“He should have never gone back to Hell, not the first time, not last night,” Sabrina stated. Guilt once again tried to pull her under. “Not after what he went through.” She studied the tea clasped between her hands. “Because of me.” 

Ambrose’s heart broke for his cousin. The guilt was weighing on her and he saw so clearly now what Nick had seen all along. She was in a deep depression, sad and scared. Merging with her Hell form didn’t help that. It seemed it may even be making it worse, now that she had the memories of what her Queen half had done as well. He was determined to help her. 

“Sabrina, I can only imagine what you must be feeling right now,” he began. 

“No, you can’t,” Sabrina cut him off with a shake of her head. “You can’t possibly imagine what it’s like to realize how much you’ve put all the people you love through, what they’ve done to protect you, whether you deserved it or not, whether you were their family or not.” 

“You are our family,” Ambrose left no room for discussion. “Hilda and Zelda and I will hear nothing to the contrary. Edward Spellman gave you his last name, Sabrina. That is not something he would do mildly, not even for Diana.” 

Deep down, Sabrina knew he was right. But it was hard to believe it. 

“But I put them through so much…” 

“Want a silver lining to all of this?” Ambrose asked. Sabrina raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. “I’ll even give you two.” He leaned forward as though he were conspiring with her. “First, you had nothing to do with the Pagans deciding to take over the world.” Sabrina rolled her eyes, a hint that she was still herself, despite the sullen girl before him.

“I left to chase a damned crown I didn’t really want while the rest of you fought them,” she reminded Ambrose. “I saw everyone I love dead and you living as a survivalist.”

“And then you saved us,” Ambrose reminded her.

“And created chaos with the duplication of myself.” 

“Which brings me to my second silver lining,” Ambrose continued. He smirked. “You’ve certainly kept things from being boring.” Sabrina glared at him. 

“If I didn’t love you so much, I’d tell you I hate you,” she declared, making him laugh. She smiled just a bit. It was good, to hear laughter. 

“What are your plans for today?” Ambrose wondered. 

“This,” Sabrina decided. “For now, at least. I’m going to sit here in this chair and ignore the world.” 

“Fair enough,” Ambrose agreed. “I’d say you deserve to do that.” Sabrina played with the edge of her shirt. 

“Except…” 

“There is its,” Ambrose said with a self-satisfied sort of nod. He knew Sabrina couldn’t sit still, even when she was struggling. She attacked her problems, went in search of a solution. It was another hint of her being present under the layers of sadness and guilt.

“I want to check on Nick,” she admitted. “I don’t know what to say to him or even how to face him, but I want to see him. I just need to gather up my courage.” 

“I don’t think you need courage to face Nick,” Ambrose shook his head. “He asked about you this morning, as concerned as ever. I’d guess he’s fighting his own urge to show up on our doorstep and ask to see you.” 

“He did so many things to hurt me,” Sabrina shared, her conflict clear. “Before he went to Hell and after. But I hurt him, too. I wasn’t there for him when he needed me. I wanted everything to go back to normal, to have my boyfriend when everything else seemed to be falling apart. I didn’t give him the chance to heal.” She looked near panic again. “I dragged him to a damned carnival the same day I caught him trying to saw off his foot!” She wiped at a tear that threatened to fall. “He saw my father every time he looked at me, probably still does. And then he left. He couldn’t even be in the same town as me.” 

Ambrose put his tea aside. He reached for hers. placed it on the side table as well, then took her hands. He looked her square in the eye. 

“Nicholas did leave,” he agreed. “He did make a copious amount of mistakes, some his fault, others not quite. But Sabrina? Nick was the only one who realized you weren’t you. Three months, you existed in two halves and no one noticed…” 

“Everyone was too wrapped up in their own lives,” Sabrina argued, still wounded by how little time her aunts seemed to have for her, despite their attention over the last day. “Zelda with the Academy and Mambo, Hilda with her wedding…” 

“Nicholas noticed,” Ambrose cut her off. “Within moments, at that. It took exactly one brief encounter with you to send him in search of me to tell me there was something wrong with you. He noticed, Sabrina. Because he knows you – the real you. I have spent weeks since then watching him tireless fight for you while he fought his own demons. He’s not the same warlock he was before he went to Hell to house the Dark Lord. But he’s not the same warlock that came back from Hell as a one man wrecking crew, either. He’s grown up, changed, matured. I know for a fact that he wants absolutely nothing more than a chance at a true relationship with you – but I also know he’ll only pursue that when he feels like you’re both ready.” 

“He didn’t want to hug me last night,” Sabrina said softly. She had been thinking about that moment between them on and off all afternoon. “When I threw my arms around him, he hesitated.” 

“Well, you were covered in blood and dirt. I wouldn’t want to hug you either.” Again, Sabrina glared at him. He fought his smirk. Any little sign that she was there, that she was ever so slowly coming back to them, was a win. 

“I don’t know what to do, Ambrose,” she admitted. “I don’t know how to make things right. Not just with him, but with anyone.” 

“One thing you have never lacked is courage,” he reminded her. “Even when you were losing yourself as halves, you were still courageous. You’re going to have to have some hard conversations with not just Nicholas, but with the aunts, your friends. But in the end, I think you’ll come out okay.” 

“Okay seems so far away.” Salem appeared and leapt into her lap. She sunk her fingers in his fur, comforted by his presence. “I know I said I was going to stay right here today, but I think I might take a walk, get some fresh air.” 

The house suddenly felt suffocating. She needed to get out, think, decide if she should go to the Academy to find Nick or give him space. Every move she considered felt like the wrong one. She was terrified she would make the wrong move and make things even worse, even if deep, deep down she knew her thought process was irrational. Ambrose was right. Nick had changed, matured. He wasn’t going to write her off if she showed up today or waited until tomorrow. 

“That sounds like a good idea,” Ambrose encouraged. “But be careful? Blackwood is still at large.” 

“I’ll be careful,” Sabrina assured him. “I promise, I’m not looking for trouble.” 

Ambrose refrained from pointing out that trouble often found her. It didn’t feel like an appropriate joke for the moment. 

“Perhaps we can finally have that cousin movie night tonight,” he proposed instead. “It’s well overdue. I’ll still let you pick the movie.” 

“I’d like that,” Sabrina said with a soft smile. “Thank you, Ambrose. For everything you’ve ever done for me. I know I haven’t said it enough...” 

“That’s what family does.” He squeezed her knee. “Besides, you owe me a lot of favors. I’ll be calling them in when appropriate.” 

Sabrina laughed then, a light sound, one that almost seemed foreign coming from her these days. But it was a start. 

“Thank you,” she said again. She pushed herself to standing. “I’ll be back in a little while.” 

She left Ambrose and exited the house. It was cool out and she wished she had thought to grab her jacket, but her sweater would have to do. She didn’t plan to be gone long. 

She wandered, no destination in mind, the fresh air doing what she had hoped and clearing her mind, even if only marginally. She was walking along the river path when the sound of leaves crunching made it to her ears. She tensed and looked around, expecting the worst. Only the worst ever happened to her. Relief filled her when Nick appeared around a bend up ahead, jogging towards her. 

That relief was quickly replaced with both anxiety and anticipation. She considered ducking into the woods to avoid him, but he had seen her. She knew by the way his eyes widened. Instead of hiding, she stopped and waited for him to reach her with no idea what she would say to him. When he was several yards away, he slowed to a walk. 

“Sabrina,” he greeted, slightly winded. “What are you doing out here?” 

“I needed some fresh air,” she answered. “What about you?” She remembered why he ran. “Oh. Nick…” 

“No,” he cut her off, knowing where her thoughts were going. “For the first time in a while, I’m running simply because I want to.” She raised an eyebrow in doubt. Nick sighed, caught in his fib. “I was having a hard time sitting still at the Academy,” he admitted. “Now that you’re merged, I seem to have more time on my hands.” 

And more time to think. His thoughts had driven him out of the Academy as he tried and failed to come up with the next point of action in his quest to get Sabrina back. He had spent most of the afternoon debating on whether he should go check on her or else wait for her to come to him on her own terms. 

“Is that a… bad thing?” Sabrina hedged. 

“It was supposed to be a joke,” Nick told her. “Albeit a bad one.” To his surprise or perhaps relief, a small smile appeared on Sabrina’s lips. 

“How are you?” she asked cautiously. “Last night…” 

“Last night was a lot,” he admitted. “But it turned out okay in the end. You’re in one piece, the Dark Lord is no more, Dorian is on the throne, and Lilith – and Caliban – are being punished…” 

“I’m asking about _you_ , Nick,” Sabrina said gently, sensing he was avoiding the real question. “You went to Hell… Again…” 

Nick surprised both of them by putting a soft hand on her arm to stop her from going down the deep rabbit hole of his complex history with Hell. It fell like the right thing to do, to touch her to steady her. He was relieved when she didn’t pull away.

“I’m okay,” he said honestly. “If I had to face the Dark Lord head on, I don’t know that I would be as okay as I am right now, but he’s gone and you’re not the only one with peace of mind about that.” Nick’s hand fell away. Sabrina missed the warmth. “It turned out to be something I needed too, to see him ended. I don’t know that I would have believed it unless I saw it with my own eyes.” 

“He can’t hurt us anymore,” Sabrina shook her head. “We’re safe, Nick.” 

From the Dark Lord, at least. There was still Blackwood out there, looming over them, capable of pouncing at any moment. 

“What about you?” he asked. “How are you? And before you try it, ‘I’m fine’ is not an answer.” 

“I don’t know what I am,” Sabrina confessed. “I’m not fine. I’m only this calm right now because Hilda has been given me a tea blend that staves off the anxiety. There’s just so much to reconcile…” She trailed off, not for the first time wishing Nick didn’t have the ability to make her spill her guts with a simple question. 

“You’ve been through a lot, Sabrina,” Nick reminded her. “Not just in the last twenty-four hours, either. This whole last year has been one thing after another.” 

“Often of my own doing,” Sabrina supplied. 

“Some of it,” Nick agreed, not sugarcoating what they both knew to be the truth. “But a lot of it was caused by the hands of others.” He kicked at the dirt. “Myself included.” 

With those two words, the tension between them erupted. It was sudden and palpable, oppressive. Sabrina couldn’t take it. 

“We should probably talk,” she said after an awkward pause. “There’s a lot…” 

“We should talk,” Nick agreed. “I’ve been promising you I would tell you about the last few months when you were whole again. But I don’t think now is the right time.” Sabrina opened her mouth to argue. “Sabrina, you’ve been through a lot,” he cut her off by repeating his earlier words. “You need some time.” Again, she tried to argue. Again, Nick cut her off. “I’m not going anywhere, Sabrina.” She wondered at the fact that he had somehow knew that was a fear she carried, deep down, that she would wake up one morning to learn that Nick had left again. “Take some time to sort through what you’re feeling. Reconnect with your aunts. Process everything that’s happened. I’ll be here.” 

Tears filled Sabrina’s eyes. 

“Why are you so good to me?” she asked. “After everything you went through because of me, why are you still here?” 

The answer to that question was loaded. Nick’s list of reasons he was still there, still fighting for her, was long. He settled on what he hoped would cover a lot of what he felt. 

“I’ve already told you – you’re inevitable.”

He was relieved to see another soft hint of a smile form on Sabrina’s lips.

“I do want to talk, Nick,” she offered. “Soon.” 

“We will,” he promised her. “In the meantime, why don’t I walk you home? It’s chilly out and you didn’t wear a coat.” He smiled a bit. “I’d offer you mine, but I didn’t wear one either.” Sabrina nodded her agreement and together, they set off towards the Spellman mortuary. Nick spied something moving in the woods and chuckled. He elbowed Sabrina gently. “Looks like you weren’t alone.” 

“What?” She looked for where he was pointing and smiled. “Salem.” Her familiar had followed her, sticking to the shadows, just in case. “I feel like I’ve neglected him lately.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I’ve neglected a lot.” 

She had neglected her relationships with her aunts, Ambrose, her friends, especially with Nick. She had forged ahead with her own needs and wants first and foremost and now, standing in the ashes of her former life, she could see all of her mistakes. There was no way to erase them, but she hoped she could right them from now.

“We all make mistakes,” Nick offered. “Some of us make bigger mistakes than others, but if we learn from them, some good can come out of them, right?”

Sabrina looked at him as they walked.

“You’ve always been smart, but it’s like you’re on a whole other level these days,” she observed. 

“Experience,” Nick offered without further explanation. Sabrina decided to change the subject, sensing that Nick would be steadfast in his refusal to talk about the vast number of issues between them right then.

“Tell me about Blackwood and the Eldritch Terrors,” she requested. “What do I need to know?”

“Why do you want to know?” Nick countered with a certain level of suspicion. 

“Relax, Nick. I’m not going to go try to take him out on my own.” Nick gave her a look. “I’m not.” She raised her hands so he could see her fingers weren’t crossed. “Prudence gets that honor. If there’s anyone who understands the desire to end one’s father, it’s me. But when the time comes, I want to make sure I know what I’m up against. Because you know Prudence can’t take him and his terrors down by herself.” 

Nick sighed, knowing she was right. Sabrina was a powerful witch. They would need her, even if he wanted to keep her as far away from it as possible, just to keep her safe.

“I wish we knew more than we do,” he started. “The Eldritch Terrors are thought to be of another dimension. It’s said they are beings so otherworldly and terrible that they are beyond human comprehension.” 

Sabrina frowned. 

“What are they capable of?” 

“We don’t know,” Nick admitted. “We’ve already seen earthquakes, tornadoes. We think the weather swings weren’t you, but the terrors. It’s been suspiciously quiet lately, and that concerns me.” 

“You think they’re getting ready to strike,” Sabrina deciphered. 

“So does Ambrose,” Nick confirmed. “We don’t know what that looks like. With Blackwood sporting the Cain Mark, he’s going to be fearless. He believes himself invincible and we both know that will make him even bolder than he’s already been. Fortunately, he doesn’t know we have the spear.” 

“If we kill Blackwood, does that end the terrors?” Sabrina wondered.

“No idea,” Nick shook his head. “I’ve been researching the terrors when I can, but there’s just not much on them. I even dragged Cassius out of retirement, but he was of no help. I’d already pulled all the texts he had on the subject.” 

“I think Prudence has to be the one to kill Blackwood,” Sabrina said. “Not just for her own revenge. It has to be her that swings the blade. You and Ambrose told us the story of Cain and Able. Cain was killed by his brother. Wouldn’t it make sense that family – particularly a firstborn – would be able to kill Blackwood if he’s marked like Cain?” 

“The reasoning makes sense,” Nick agreed. “Prudence is determined to end him, so here’s to hoping that theory holds up.” The mortuary came into view. “All I know for sure is that we’ll have to be ready when the terrors come. I wish I knew when that is. Or what being ready looks liked.” 

“We’re a powerful coven,” Sabrina said. “We may be small in numbers, but my aunts and Ambrose, you, Prudence…”

“You,” Nick added with a pointed nod. He dared think she might be the most powerful one of them all. She had denounced her father, murdered him, even, but celestial blood still ran through her veins.

“Me,” Sabrina added as an afterthought. “We can take anything Blackwood throws at us. Besides, all of us want him dead bad enough to make it happen, no matter what.” Nick smiled. “What?” Sabrina questioned. She saw nothing to smile about right then.

“It’s just good to see you more like – you.” 

A warmth flooded through Sabrina as she considered the fact that it was Nick who truly saw her all along. She let the words she wanted to say fall flat on her tongue. There would be time for that. 

“It’s good to be me again,” she agreed. They reached the mortuary gate. “Thank you for walking me home, Nick.” 

“I assure you that it was my pleasure.” 

They traded small, cautious smiles. She recognized the moment for what it was. The slightest hint of Nick, flirting with her. It had been months and she realized in that moment that she had missed it. It felt so easy, so natural. She hoped he would do it again sometime soon. 

“I’ll see you later, I guess?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Nick assured her one more time. “Have a good evening with your aunts, Sabrina.” 

He turned, intent to jog away, finish up his run on the path back to the Academy. Sabrina couldn’t help herself, however.

“Nick?” 

He stopped and looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. She took a deep breath. 

“I know you want to wait to talk about things, and I understand that. But can I ask you one thing?” 

Slowly, Nick nodded. 

“Anything.”

“When you look at me… Do you…” She avoided his eyes, nervous. “Do you still see… Him?” 

The bottom dropped out of Nick’s stomach. That moment was another one of the few things he remembered from that awful day in the woods. He waited until she finally brought her gaze to his. He looked her in the eye. 

“I see you,” he promised her. “I always have. Even when I said that, I still saw you. I know that now.” He didn’t offer more of an explanation and Sabrina didn’t push for one, trusting he would give her one in time. “I’ll see you later, Sabrina.” 

“Bye, Nick.”

She watched him disappear down the path and into the woods. She exhaled a big breath and turned towards the house. Salem meowed from her perch on the railing. She paused to scratch his ears. 

“I don’t know, Salem,” she answered. “It’s confusing, how I feel about Nick.” 

Salem meowed again. 

“Maybe he loves me,” Sabrina agreed. “But he hurt me. I hurt him. There’s a lot to overcome if we stand any chance at all at reconciling.” Another meow. She smiled a bit. “It’s good to be in one piece again,” she echoed. 

She left him on the railing and went inside. 

“Sabrina?” came Zelda’s voice. “Is that you?” 

“It’s me,” she called back. She followed her aunt’s voice. Zelda was alone in the study. Sabrina stopped in the doorway. “Hi.” 

“Ambrose said you went for a walk.” 

“I needed some fresh air,” Sabrina confirmed. “I ran into Nick. Literally. He was out on a run. He walked me home.” She wondered now if he had walked her home because he didn’t trust her to make her way there without getting in trouble. 

“Of course he did,” Zelda grumbled to herself. She fixed her eyes on her niece. “Why are you standing there? Come in, sit down.” 

“I thought you might be busy,” Sabrina hedged as she stepped into the room and lowered herself to a nearby chair. “I didn’t want to interrupt.” 

“I’m always busy,” Zelda said with an air of importance. “Such is the life of a Directrix.” She sat back in her chair and produced her smoking stick. “But I did call out for you, did I not? I want to talk to you.” 

Sabrina squirmed in her seat. She was about to get raked over the coals. She had known it was coming, hoped her aunt would give her at least another day or so to adjust to being whole again. She didn’t bother to try to avoid what was coming. She figured it was best to just take it and get it over with. 

“You look nervous,” Zelda observed. 

“You’re not known for going easy on someone,” Sabrina countered. Zelda frowned. 

“I’m not going to dress you down for what you did,” she informed her. “Frankly, I’ve already done that.” Her cigarette sprung to life, the end burning bright orange before smoke curled from it. “I would have told you what I thought of your disappearing act to the desecrated following your confession regarding your two halfs, but Nicholas has apparently become a white knight in his reformed state.” 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head, “Nick is no white knight. A dark knight, perhaps, but certainly not a white knight.” 

“No matter. He’s not the subject of this discussion.” Zelda sat back in her chair, elbow resting on the arm as she puffed her cigarette. “I want to make something very clear to you…”

“I’ve learned my lesson,” Sabrina rushed ahead. She was willing to take Zelda’s tough love, but if she could shorten the lecture, she would. “I may have said that before, but I mean it this time. I learned my lesson. I have more than learned my lesson…” 

“Stop babbling, child,” Zelda cut her off. “I want you to listen to me, Sabrina.” She paused, waiting for Sabrina to rebuttal. When she didn’t, Zelda nodded once. “As I said, I want to make something very clear to you.” She leaned forward so her point would carry more weight. “You, Sabrina, are a Spellman. You are a part of this family. I won’t have you believing otherwise.” 

Whatever Sabrina had been expecting, it wasn’t that. She had thought Zelda would tear into her for her recent actions and send her on her way with her tail tucked between her legs as Zelda tended to do. Instead, she was declaring that Sabrina was very much a part of their family. 

“You are a Spellman,” Zelda said again. “Hilda and I raised you as ours from the moment your bassinette appeared in our foyer. Edward – who I very much still consider your father – knew of your parentage, but never, not once, did he consider you of anything other than his.” 

“You don’t know that,” Sabrina said softly. “I was just a baby…” 

“I do know that,” Zelda informed her. “When that bitch shot me…” A small smile played at Sabrina’s lips. Zelda refused to call Ms. Wardwell anything other than ‘that bitch,’ and it made Sabrina all that fonder of her. “Your father came to me in my in between state to show me the way to Hecate. We discussed you as well. He knew your paternity, but he wanted you to find your own path, your own way. Do you honestly think you would have felt such a connection to him all of these years if he didn’t consider you his own flesh and blood?” 

Sabrina found she didn’t have an answer. Edward Spellman was a man of power, power he used for good, so unlike her biological father. He would have had the means to deny her, to turn his back on her. Instead, he had assisted her time and time again, in some way shape or form. Knowing his time was ending, he had sent her to his sisters, the two people he loved most in the world, to care for her. Her hands tightened around the arms of the chair as she began to understand that Edward Spellman, in the ways that mattered, truly was her father. Zelda saw the tears forming in her niece’s eyes. She continued to push forward. 

“Do you think Hilda and I would have put ourselves through what we’ve put ourselves through if we didn’t love you beyond reason and consider you ours?” She sat back in her chair again as though baffled by Sabrina’s inability to see it all the way she did. “Honestly, Sabrina. How many times have you been a part of a spell that required you to tap into the Spellman powerhouse?” 

Silence fell over the room as Sabrina digested the truth of what her aunt said. Several times over, her aunts had taken her hand in a spell or ritual that needed all the power of the Spellman name. She knew how magic worked, how bloodlines mattered. Her eyes widened as she recognized something else entirely.

“I don’t get my power from Hell. Not anymore.” 

“Well, we do worship Hecate now,” Zelda pointed out. 

“Right, but I’m infernal,” she reminded her aunt. “As the heir of the throne, theoretically, I should have been able to tap into that power, even if the Dark Lord took it away from us, even if I couldn’t provide it to the coven.” It was a complex web of bloodlines and magic, but it made sense to her. Even while her coven suffered from lack of power, she should have still had plenty. She should have been able to perform magic when they couldn’t, except she, too, had been weak. She had been weak because the laws of the universe had considered her a Spellman, not of Hell but of Earth. She shook her head slowly. “I’ve never been a Morningstar. Not really.” 

“Isn’t that what I just said?” Zelda asked in a bored sort of tone. 

Sabrina sagged in her chair, overwhelmed by her realization. Despite Hell’s insistence that she was theirs, she was a Spellman. She had been since birth. There was no doubt now, no conflict. She was a Spellman, perhaps not by blood, but certainly by choice – her choice and Edward Spellman’s. That choice had made all the difference.

“Auntie, I’m so sorry,” she said in the most sincere voice she had ever used. “I’ve been such a handful for so long, from resisting my Dark Baptism to becoming the Queen of Hell… I never wanted to hurt anyone, least of all you, Hilda, and Ambrose. I don’t know what happened to me. I got lost…”

She trailed off, overwhelmed by her confession. 

“It’s a rite of passage for our kind to go off the rails at some point,” Zelda said. “Ambrose tried to blow up the Vatican. You became Queen of Hell. Hilda and I certainly had our moments as well.” 

“What did the two of you do?” Sabrina asked curiously. 

“That’s a story for when you’re older,” Zelda dismissed with a wave of her hand. Sabrina scoffed. “Another time,” Zelda said again with a pointed look. Sabrina made a face at the denial and decided to ask Ambrose later. “Sabrina, I won’t deny that you have caused utter chaos over this last year. But if I had to choose between going through this all again or not having you as my niece? Well, I would buckle up and get ready for a repeat performance.” 

“I’ve really messed up though,” Sabrina said. “I’m having a hard time dealing with it all.” 

“I’m sure you are,” Zelda said in a kinder voice than she normally used. “I can’t take those feelings away from you. You’ll need to face them, work through them. But I want to clear up any belief that you are not a Spellman right here, right now.” Sabrina nodded, not trusting herself to speak. “Take the time you need to face your feelings and work through whatever they dredge up. That’s not a skill I’m especially talented at, but your tendency to wear your heart on your sleeve is one of your best qualities.” 

Sabrina smiled a little. She hadn’t quite full on smiled, but the small smiles that had been pulled out of her all afternoon by first Ambrose, then Nick, now Zelda. 

“Nick said that,” she shared. “That my ability to love others is one of my best qualities.” 

“Well he would know, wouldn’t he?” Zelda asked. 

“I don’t know…” 

“That was a rhetorical question,” Zelda informed her. “I don’t know the full extent of whatever happened between you and Nicholas, but I do know that boy loves you beyond reason and that you return the sentiment, even if your relationship is in ruins at the moment.” 

Sabrina said nothing. Everything seemed to be coming back to Nick today. 

“Take your time,” Zelda advised, guessing at Sabrina’s internal struggles. “I know you, Sabrina. You want to go out and fix everything right this instant. It won’t work like that this time. It can’t, not if you’re going to do things right.” 

“I know,” Sabrina admitted. “It’s hard not to go corner Nick and demand he talk to me though. It’s hard not to go to my friends and ask if I can have one more chance.” She blew out a long breath. “I’ve missed you, auntie.” 

“Missed me?” Zelda raised her eyebrows. “I haven’t gone anywhere.” 

“You’ve been so busy,” Sabrina reminded her. “When I was half of me, I felt like no one had time for me. Not you, not Hilda. Ambrose was so annoyed with me that it wasn’t fun to be around him. I spent more and more time alone and it wasn’t good for me, Auntie. I went to some dark places.” 

Zelda’s heart broke at her niece’s confession. 

“Oh, Sabrina…” 

“I was lonely and freaking out about what I’d done,” she continued. “I wanted to give up, disappear. I knew I couldn’t, because if I didn’t merge back into one, who knows what would have happened to you all? But it wasn’t good, Aunt Zee. I don’t know that I would have held on much longer.” 

Tears rolled down her cheeks, leaving trails of mascara from her earlier half-hearted attempt to make herself look presentable. Zelda studied her niece for a few moments before she stood and rounded the desk. 

“Come here, child.” She pulled Sabrina to her feet and into a motherly hug. Sabrina hugged her back just as tight, unable to remember when the last time anyone had hugged her like this, like she was safe and loved and everything was okay. Not even the hugs she’d received from Ambrose and Nick quite matched this. She leaned into it, hugged Zelda tighter. “You are a part of this family, Sabrina.” Zelda pressed a kiss into her hair. “Don’t you dare forget that. You are never – ever – alone.” 

Zelda let Sabrina cry until she finally let out one last shutter and pulled away enough to look up at her aunt. 

“Thank you,” she said. “For everything, Auntie. Everything. Raising me, loving me…” 

“You are a Spellman,” Zelda said one last time. Her hands went to Sabrina’s shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “That’s what Spellmans do.” She looked over her with a critical eye. “You need a long bath, I think,” she assessed. “A soak in the tub cures a lot. I’ll even send up a glass of wine, just this once. Hecate knows you deserve it.” 

“Everyone wanted me to shower last night,” Sabrina observed. “Now you’re pushing me towards a bath?” 

“Water washes away a lot,” Zelda said. “I find I do my best thinking during long, hot baths.” 

“I think I’ll use some lavender oil,” Sabrina said. Zelda smiled a bit. 

“You do love lavender,” she agreed. She squeezed Sabrina’s shoulders one more time, then let her go. “Enjoy your bath. Hilda is out picking up ingredients for dinner. She’s planning a sort of welcome home feast.” Zelda considered her for a moment. “We’ll be dining together more frequently from here on out. It’s nonsense that we got away from them in the first place. Tonight shall be Spellmans only, I think. This family does need a good reconnect” 

Sabrina nodded, her smile growing. 

“I’d like that,” she agreed. “But for the record, it would be okay if Mambo or Cee came.”

“I imagine they will have plenty of evenings seated around our table,” Zelda said. “But not tonight.” She smirked a small knowing smirk. “I expect Nicholas and Prudence will join us as well.” 

“You were just telling me to take it slow…” 

“I stand by that,” Zelda said, returning to her seat. “Just like I stand by my statement about Prudence and Nicholas.” 

Sabrina just shook her head fondly and left the room. Upstairs, she started her bath and went back into her bedroom to find something to change into once she was finished. When she returned, lavender hung heavy in the steamy air and a glass of wine waited for her.

The hot bubbly water welcomed her like an old friend. Almost right away, she began to relax. Her muscles uncoiled and her breath seemed to come easier. 

She was a Spellman. 

For the first time in months, she actually felt like one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While Nick telling Sabrina he has only ever saw her is certainly a contender for a favorite scene, the Sabrina/Zelda scene was EVERYTHING for me. I loved that scene so so much. I hope y'all liked it, too. 
> 
> The action picks up again next update... 
> 
> Let me know what you thought! 
> 
> XOXO


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, we had a nice little interlude of downtime there. Shall we pick up the pace again?

Nick walked along the sidewalk, hands stuffed in the pockets of his leather jacket to ward off the October chill. He always found it odd to walk through the streets of the mortal town, particularly alone. While many witches and warlocks had grown up amongst mortals, hiding their true identity like the Spellmans had, he hadn’t. He had gone from his home in Romania to the woods with Amalia to the Academy where he had been until departing days after the Pagans were defeated. But he had found himself wandering the town as a way to pass the time, deep in his thoughts about Sabrina, Hell, and Blackwood. He paid little attention to the group that exited Dr. Cerberus as he passed. 

“Hi Nicholas” 

He paused and looked over his shoulder. He blew out a breath and gave a polite nod at Lizzy and her group of cheerleaders, ignoring the suggestive smile she was giving him. 

“Lizzy,” he greeted. He didn’t bother to say hello to the others. He didn’t know their names anyway and he only knew Lizzy’s because of Sabrina. Lizzy took a couple of steps in his direction. He refrained from taking a couple of steps backwards. 

“I haven’t seen you at school in a few days,” she ventured, undeterred by his clear uninterest. “Have you been sick?” 

“Something like that.” 

He had no plans to return to mortal school. There was no real reason, now that Sabrina was merged. She herself hadn’t been since her merge either. He hadn’t seen her in the three days since finding her walking along the river, but he had checked in on her the best he could, relying on Ambrose to tell him how she was doing. It was all he could do, not to show up at the mortuary and check on her himself, but she needed time and he did too. 

“Well, you look like you’re feeling better,” Lizzy continued. “Will I see you on Monday?” Her smile was flirtatious, full of suggestion. She took another step towards him. This time, Nick did take a step back. 

“I’m still contagious,” he said hurriedly. “I don’t know when I’ll be back at school.” 

“Oh.” Lizzy looked disappointed. He thought she might have figured out he wasn’t interested. “Well then. Feel better.” 

She turned back to her friends. Nick felt only a little guilty for hurting her feelings, but his attention was quickly pulled away by the realization that Roz was amongst the group, hovering near the back, eyes on him. She had something to say to him. 

“You guys go ahead,” she said. “I left a book inside. I’ll catch up.” 

“We can wait,” Lizzy offered. 

“No, go on,” Roz insisted. “The movie starts soon. Get in line for our tickets. I’ll meet you there.” Lizzy shrugged a shoulder in agreement and walked away, the rest of the group following. Roz waited until they were out of earshot before she spoke to Nick. “Is Sabrina…” 

“She’s merged,” Nick confirmed. “It involved a trip back to Hell and patricide, but she’s back as one, has been for a few days now.” 

“Patricide,” Roz repeated. “The Dark Lord is gone?” 

“Sabrina killed him. It’s a very long story, but she’s no longer Queen of Hell. She abdicated.” He looked at Roz, anticipating her reaction. “Her brother is on the throne now.” 

“Brother?” Roz repeated. “Sabrina has a brother?” 

“Half-brother, technically. Satan was no saint, so to speak. Again, it’s a long story, but Dorian Gray is now the King of Hell.” 

“Dorian Gray? As in that bartender?” 

“That’s the one,” Nick confirmed. 

“How is she?” Roz continued, choosing to focus on what she deemed the most important part of this conversation – Sabrina. “Is she okay?” 

“She’s laying low,” Nick offered. “I haven’t seen her in a few days.” 

Roz’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. 

“Really? I figured you would have been first up to welcome her back.” That’s what her visions had shown her, after all. Flashes of Nick with Sabrina, their arms around one another. She assumed the battle scene-like background was the aftermath of Hell. It certainly looked that way. 

“She needs space,” Nick said. “She’s been through a lot. She needs her family right now, not me.” He bit his lip for a moment, admitting to himself that it hurt to put voice to the words he knew to be true. “She knows I’m here though, that I’m not going anywhere.” 

Roz considered him. She saw the conflict in the warlock as much as she sensed it. There was a time when she wanted to use the information she held to hurt him, to defend Sabrina, make him see what the witch had done for him. Now, she wanted him to know because he needed to. 

“She wasn’t okay while you were gone, Nick,” she said in a quiet voice. “She went to those gates every single morning before school and did everything she could to open them, to save you. She was waking up early, going to Baxter High, then to the Academy, maybe doing her homework, then researching how to get you out of Hell well into the early morning hours. It was all Hell, all the time. She wasn’t sleeping, she was having nightmares. She was falling apart. I know she wasn’t perfect when she got you back, but I think you need to know how bad it was before she had you out of there. She was willing to do anything to get you back.” 

Nick’s chest tightened as guilt overwhelmed him. It was an odd thing to feel guilty about, that Sabrina had been so focused on him when he had done what he did for her. They somehow went from carefree and falling in love to an awful sort of push pull. It had started with his confession of his betrayal, then his begging for forgiveness, forgiveness he wasn’t sure he truly ever got. She had fought to save him, only to become queen anyway. She had wanted so desperately to go back to normal while he was falling apart. He had self-imploded, pushed her away, broke her heart. She had hurt him, too, becoming queen anyway, not seeing how desperate he was, burning that candle that didn’t actually mean anything, but the symbolism alone had done enough damage. He wondered if they could ever actually be okay. There was so much stacked against them.

“She and I have both suffered for the other and because of the other,” he finally said. “There’s a lot we need to talk about.” He eyed Roz. “I think there’s a lot you two need to talk about as well. I meant what I said. She needs her friends.” 

“She’ll have to come to me,” Roz determined. 

“That’s fair, I guess” Nick agreed. He tilted his head in the direction Lizzy had wandered in. “You should probably get going if you’re going to catch them.” 

“Yeah, I suppose I should,” Roz agreed. She smirked a bit. “Not interested in Lizzy, huh?” 

“Blame Sabrina,” Nick said with a hint of a smile. “See you later, Roz.” 

He intended to leave, but a voice from behind interrupted him. 

“It seems you’ve got a thing for my ex-girlfriends, Scratch.” 

Nick rolled his eyes and turned to face Harvey. 

“Just one,” he informed the mortal. “And she’s not here right now. No offense, Roz.” 

“None taken,” Roz glared at Harvey. 

“Your record proceeds you,” Harvey retorted, his own glare set on Nick. 

“Seeing you reminds me…” Nick squared himself to Harvey and said a quick line of Latin. Harvey grabbed his throat as something worked its way up. He opened his mouth, expecting to vomit, but nothing came out and the feeling disappeared. He narrowed his eyes at Nick. Nick shrugged. “I removed the curse I put on you. Sabrina is okay.” He couldn’t help himself. “She doesn’t need you anymore.” 

“You…” Harvey stepped forward with intent to swing his fist. The warlock had had it coming for a long time as far as he was concerned. They were interrupted by a sharp gasp from Roz. “Roz?” Harvey questioned, his anger at Nick momentarily forgotten. They noted the faraway look on her face. “What is it?” 

“Are you seeing something?” Nick asked at the same time. Roz looked at him. 

“When you were in Hell this last time, what did it look like?” she asked urgently. 

“The inside of Lucifer, I’d imagine,” Harvey piped up. “And what does she mean, ‘in Hell this last time?’ Did Sabrina go back to Hell?” Nick spared him a disgusted look before giving Roz his full attention.

“It looked like – Hell,” he answered. “We were in Pandemonium. You’ve been there. You know what it looks like.”

“I was wrong then,” she shook her head, still looking at Nick. “I was seeing images of you and Sabrina standing in what looked like a battle field with your arms around each other. I just saw it again, but it was clearer this time and when my visions are crystal clear, they tend to be imminent.” 

“What did it look like?” Nick questioned. “What else did you see?” 

“It was dark,” she shared. “Misty or foggy or something – whatever it is is thick and I can’t see very far.” She made a face. “But it was colorful. So it couldn’t be mist of fog, could it? I see people in my vision, too – some on their feet, others wounded or dead.” 

Nick’s heart started to race as the familiar surge of adrenaline began to course through him. He had a crazy idea, but if he had learned nothing else as of late, it was that the crazier the idea, the more likely it was to work. 

“What’s she seeing, Scratch?” Harvey asked. “What’s going on?” 

“Roz, I need you to come to the Academy with me,” Nick stated. “I’ll explain more when we get there.” He grabbed her hand. “Lanucae magicae.” With a pop, they arrived in front of the Academy. 

They weren’t alone. 

Harvey staggered to his feet. 

“What in the Heaven are you doing here, mortal?” Nick demanded. “I didn’t say I needed you.” 

“I wasn’t going to let you take her off somewhere,” Harvey countered. Nick considered retorting, but he shook his head instead. 

“I don’t have time for you,” he stated. “Stay close and don’t touch anything.” 

He barged through the door, listening to ensure Harvey and Roz followed him. They were bickering, but he paid them no mind. He had no time for their mortal problems. He led them through the Academy and into the library. 

“Ambrose!” he called out as soon as he was through the door. “Ambrose!” 

“What the Heaven are you shouting about?” Ambrose appeared from a long row of shelves. “This is library for Hell’s sake…” His eye widened. “Why are they here? What’s happened now?” 

“Roz had a vision,” Nick said hurriedly. “I don’t know why the other one’s here. He tagged along without permission.” Harvey glared. Nick continued to ignore him. “Roz, tell Ambrose what you saw.” 

Quickly, Roz shared her vision. 

“Blackwood?” Ambrose asked Nick the moment Roz stopped talking. 

“Has to be, doesn’t it?” Nick countered. “At least I hope to Heaven it is, because I cannot take one more scenario in which we have to fight for our existence.” 

“I’ll second that,” Ambrose agreed. 

“Ambrose, I had a thought,” Nick continued. “We can’t find Blackwood. But what if we paired Roz’s cunning with Mambo’s brand of magic? Together, they might be able to crack through whatever protection he’s got around them.” 

“You’re a damned genius, Scratch,” Ambrose declared. 

“I can’t guarantee it will work, but it’s something.” 

“It’s worth a shot,” Ambrose agreed. 

“Would someone mind telling us what’s going on here?” Harvey piped up. “It sounds like to me that you’re volunteering Roz for some sort of witchcraft without asking her.” 

“Why _are_ you here?” Ambrose asked him. He had only ever been neutral towards Harvey, liked him a bit less as time went by and he saw more and more how unsuited he was for Sabrina. Right now, he was akin to a thorn in his side. “You didn’t even bring a shotgun this time.” 

“I’m here because of her.” He tilted his head towards Roz, standing his ground. “I’m not letting her get swept up into something here.” 

“That’s not really your decision to make, is it?” Roz informed him. She looked at Ambrose and Nick. “What do you need? How can I help?” 

Harvey scoffed next to her. Nick smirked at him, the bad blood between them bubbling as hot as ever. Ambrose rolled his eyes at the two. 

“Father Blackwood, former high priest of this coven, has unleashed what are called the Eldritch Terrors,” he told Roz. “The tornado, the earthquake, all the weird weather swings? All their doing. We don’t really know what they are – they’re horrors from another dimension. Blackwood is controlling them and the only things we know for sure is that they’re due to unleash their full wrath at any moment now. Problem is, we can’t locate Blackwood.” 

“There’s the added complication of his Cain Mark,” Nick added. Roz, the daughter of a pastor, knew what that meant. 

“He can’t be killed,” she said in a sort of awe. 

“Lilith did a bit of trickery that involved ensuring both of their safety before she released the Dark Lord from Blackwood,” Ambrose paraphrased. “Hence the mark.” 

“Fortunately, we do have a way to kill him,” Nick continued. “It worked on Lucifer, it will work on him. It’s literally Heaven sent. We just can’t find Blackwood. He knows our magics. He’s well versed at them. But he doesn’t know Mambo Marie’s. If we pair her work with your cunning, Roz, we might be able to locate him.” 

“I’ll help,” she said without hesitation. 

“Roz, you can’t just…” Harvey started to protest. 

“Yes, I can,” Roz cut him off with a sharp look. “I’d say you’re free to leave, Harvey. Your talents aren’t needed.” 

“I’m not leaving you…” 

“I’ve heard that from you before.” 

An intense stare passed between the pair at the reminder of their past. Ambrose clapped his hands together, interrupting the moment. 

“Shall we go to Mambo?” 

He led the way out of the library. Nick ushered Roz and Harvey ahead of him and followed the group to Zelda’s office. Ambrose didn’t bother knocking. He threw up the door, only to find Mambo springing away from Zelda. 

“Ambrose!” Zelda chided. “You know better than…” 

“Sorry to interrupt your romantic moment,” Ambrose said without any sincerity at all. “We might have a way to find Blackwood.” He stepped aside to reveal Roz. 

“What are they doing here?” Zelda demanded. “Last I checked, this was still a school for magical beings. The mortals may know our secret, but they’re not safe here…” 

“Roz had a vision,” Ambrose informed her. “Of what sounds like a battlefield…” 

“Blackwood,” Zelda stated with certainty. “But unless this vision tells us when or where or even how…” 

“We think Roz might be able to work with Mambo to find Blackwood,” Nick interrupted. 

“Her cunning,” Mambo realized. “I think they may be right, Zelda. It’s two unique forms of power that combined, Blackwood may not have protections against.” 

Zelda considered them for a moment. 

“Very well,” she agreed. “Rosalind, are you willing to help?” 

“I can try,” she confirmed. 

“But, Roz, this has nothing to do with us,” Harvey tried. “It’s dangerous…” 

“As though these Terrors won’t take out your mortal world, too,” Nick stated. “If you want to stay, I suggest you shut up, lest you be removed.” 

“Nicholas is quite right,” Zelda agreed, eyeing Harvey. “I don’t know your purpose here, Mr. Kinkle, but if you plan to stay, you’ll need to hush. I don’t condone misbehavior from my coven, but I’m willing to overlook the rules for Nicholas just this once if you don’t fall in line.” 

Harvey fell silent. He had always been weary of Zelda Spellman and with her support behind him, he didn’t doubt Nick would follow through on his threat. The warlock was looking for a chance to fight as much as he was. 

“Now that that’s settled,” Zelda continued, “Mambo, Roz? What do you need?” 

“A place to work,” Mambo said. “This office should do. I need something of Blackwood’s…”

“He cleaned the place out pretty well when he left, but he did leave a few artifacts behind,” Ambrose said. “I’ll fetch something.” 

He disappeared. 

“I need Prudence as well,” Mambo continued. “She’s his daughter. Her energy will attract his, no matter how broken their relationship is, particularly as she shares blood with the twins.” 

“Nicholas, go,” Zelda ordered. 

“On it,” he said as he hurried for the door. He sensed Harvey’s eyes burning into him, but he couldn’t care less. Zelda would keep the mortal in line. He rushed through the school, searching for Prudence. He found her presiding over a study hall of the younger students. They all looked at him in surprise when he blew into the room. 

“Nicky…” 

“Zelda needs you,” he informed her. “Her and Mambo.” He allowed her access to his thoughts. Her eyes popped in realization that this might well be the break they needed. 

“Watch my class,” she directed Nick. She exited the room in a rush. Nick looked at the young witches and warlocks in a semi-circle around him. They were all looking at him expectantly. He shrugged. 

“Class dismissed,” he declared before turning on his heel and following after Prudence. He didn’t go for Zelda’s office, however. He raced up the stairs and to his room. He pulled his nightstand drawer open and found the marker. He uncapped it and wrote on his hand. 

_The Academy. Zelda’s office. Blackwood._

He returned the marker and rushed back downstairs. Ambrose had returned with a pair of cufflinks that belonged to Blackwood. Mambo had cleared Zelda’s desk and covered it with a large map. She had Roz at one side, Prudence at the other. 

“We don’t know if this will work,” she reminded the group gathered in the room. “But it’s worth a try.” 

“It has to work,” Prudence said. “It has to.” She glanced at Roz. “Those visions of yours better be as good as I hear they are.” 

Prudence’s comment made Nick wonder what, exactly, Roz had seen. He and Sabrina, arms around one another, bodies around them… 

“Auntie?” Sabrina flew into the room, Hilda huffing on her heels. “What’s going on?” 

“What are you doing here?” Zelda asked. “I thought you and Hilda were at home…” 

“I summoned her,” Nick spoke up. “She should be here.” 

Zelda considered her niece. 

“Of course she should,” she determined. Her eyes fell to Hilda. “Sister, dust yourself off. You’re covered in flour.” 

“I was in the midst of making dumplings,” Hilda explained. “Heavens, I don’t know what’s happening… Sabrina was helping and then she was squawking about a note from Nicholas and grabbing my hand to teleport…” 

Sabrina, however, had realized Roz and Harvey were present. 

“Roz? Harvey? What are you two doing here?” 

Harvey opened his mouth to reply, but Nick beat him to it. 

“Come on.” He took Sabrina by the elbow. “I’ll explain.” He led her out of the office. She whirled to face him the moment they were outside the door. 

“Nick…” 

“I ran into Roz on the sidewalk outside of Cee’s,” he cut her off. He blew out a breath. “She knew you were in halves. I found her lurking outside the mortuary the day after you disappeared to the desecrated church. She was worried after Hilda called looking for you, wanted to know if you were okay. I told her the truth about what was going on.” 

Sabrina frowned. 

“You told her?” 

“She knew something was going on,” Nick shared. “She had visions.” 

“Of course she did,” Sabrina sighed, not sure how she felt about it. Once, Roz would have come right to her with any vision she had concerning her or her family. 

“Anyway, when I ran into her earlier, she asked again if you were okay. I told her you were merged and Lucifer was no more. She mentioned a vision she had that she thought was from Hell, but it wasn’t.” Nick looked at her, oddly nervous about revealing Roz’s vision to Sabrina. “It was of you and I, arms around one another, in what she described as a battlefield. She said it was foggy or misty, except colorful, that it was hard to see and that there were bodies everywhere. I realized it was likely something to do with Blackwood and that with her cunning, she might be able to work with Mambo to find him.” 

“A battlefield?” Sabrina questioned, concern evident. 

“That’s all we’ve got to work with,” Nick confirmed. “We know Blackwood is out there. We know he’s coming. But what that looks like? We just don’t know.” 

Sabrina sighed and slumped against the wall. 

“Here we go again,” she sighed. 

Nick leaned against the wall beside her. 

“Here we go again,” he echoed. Both of them let some of their weariness show. 

“At least this time I’m not directly at fault,” Sabrina mused. Nick smiled just a little. “You explained why Roz is here, but what about Harvey?” 

“Kinkle grabbed ahold of Roz as I was teleporting us here. He’s basically just in the way.” Sabrina gave him a warning look. He ignored it. “How have you been?” he asked, changing the subject away from Harvey. “These last few days?” 

Sabrina shrugged. Despite what was going on in Zelda’s office, she found comfort in standing in a hallway with Nick, talking like they had once upon a time. 

“I’ve been – adjusting,” she shared. “My aunts won’t leave me alone. Like they literally won’t leave me alone.” She gave a hint of a rueful smile. “I went from wishing someone would spend time with me and feeling lonely to taking multiple long baths a day because it’s one of the only times I can be alone.” 

“So, you remember – everything?” Nick asked cautiously. Sabrina nodded. 

“For better or worse,” she confirmed. “I have all the memories – all the feelings – of both halves of me from the last several months.” She blew out a breath. “I did some terrible things, Nick. Especially as the queen.” 

“I did some pretty awful things too,” Nick offered in a guarded sort of way, thinking in that moment of what he had said to her queen half to break her in the dollhouse a few days earlier. “And there weren’t even two of me floating around.” 

Sabrina looked at him as she searched for the right words to say, the right way to respond. In the span of moments, everything from sharp, hurtful words to soothing, forgiving ones floated across the tip of her tongue. Nick saved her from having to answer. 

“We should go back inside, see if Mambo and Roz have made any progress.” 

Sabrina nodded her agreement and together, they slipped back inside. Mambo’s piece of paper now held a series of intricate lines. Sabrina peered closer and realized it was a map of Greendale that was being expanded through some form of magic she didn’t understand. Mambo herself muttered fast in an unknown tongue. Roz was somewhere else entirely her eyes closed, her features tense, cufflinks held tight in her right first. Prudence looked on, eyes sharp, Mambo’s hand tightly in hers. It was only when a drop of blood fell to the parchment that Sabrina realized Prudence was bleeding – and that the blood was being used to form the map. 

Roz exhaled a sudden sharp gasp. Her eyes flew open. She looked wild. 

“I see him!” she exclaimed. “He’s deep in the woods. There looks to be a giant wooden wheel…” 

“There’s an old sawmill north of here,” Harvey spoke up. “It hasn’t functioned in years, has been abandoned for at least a decade, probably longer.” 

“Who is with him?” Zelda demanded. 

“The twins,” Roz said instantly. “Agatha. A few others.” 

“His remaining Judas men,” Ambrose guessed. 

“Shall we go then?” Prudence asked, dropping Mambo’s hand. “I’ll just need a moment to fetch the spear.” 

“No,” Zelda shook her head. “Not yet.” 

“But…” 

“I said not yet,” Zelda spoke sharply. “That’s what gets you lot into trouble, the rushing headlong into things without thought. We can’t just ambush this old mill without a plan. Besides, his Eldritch Terrors are still out there.” 

“We can’t let him escape,” Ambrose argued. “Not again.” 

Everyone in the room, particularly Prudence, heard what he didn’t say. He was not going to be responsible for Blackwood slipping through their fingers again. 

“Zelda is right,” Sabrina said. “We need a plan.” Everyone stared at her. What?” she wondered. 

“Look who finally learned her lesson,” Prudence muttered. “Fine time for you to decide to do the right thing.” 

“We need to know what we’re up against,” Nick thought out loud. “What if we take a page from the dual Sabrina handbook?” All eyes were on him now, but Sabrina understood. 

“We need to capture one of the twins or Agatha,” she interpreted. “Get them to talk, tell us what they know.” 

“Exactly,” Nick nodded. 

“And how, exactly, are we going to do that, Mr. Scratch?” Zelda wondered, her skepticism clear. 

“We can’t exactly nip in and nip out with one of the children in tow,” Hilda agreed. 

“I didn’t say I knew how,” Nick reminded them. “Just that it’s an option.” 

“Wait,” Sabrina’s mind was firing now. “Nip in, nip out…” She looked to Harvey. “Theo is still dating Robin, right?” She felt bad that she wasn’t one hundred percent sure of the answer. Theo was supposed to be her friend. She should know his relationship status. 

“He is…” Harvey said slowly, sensing where Sabrina was going. 

“Robin is a hobgoblin,” she reminded the group. “He could speed in and speed out. No one would be able to stop him, let alone see him coming.” 

“It’s not an entirely crazy idea,” Nick agreed. 

“You’re rather quick to volunteer my friends for things today, Scratch,” Harvey stated. 

“I’m still not sure why you’re here, Kinkle,” Nick fired back.

“Stop it,” Sabrina hissed, eyes darting between the two. They both fell quiet, but she could feel Nick simmering next to her, practically see the steaming coming off of Harvey. She summoned her courage and faced Roz. “Roz? What do you think? Could Robin do it?” 

“Possibly,” she nodded, looking anywhere but at Sabrina. “I mean, yes. It’s dangerous, but he can do it.” 

“Shall we nab Agatha, then?” Hilda suggested. “Get her back with us, begin the treatment I’m sure she needs?” 

“No.” Every head turned to Prudence, surprised she, of all people, would object to rescuing Agatha. “If we’re sending in a goblin, we’re going to need a hostage worth Blackwood’s time.” 

Zelda understood. 

“Judas.” 

“Judas,” Prudence nodded once. The pain behind her eyes was evident. “The girls are expendable. Not Judas. He’s Blackwood’s only male heir.” 

“Judas it is,” Zelda agreed. “Someone fetch the hobgoblin.” 

“I’ll go,” Nick offered. 

“No.” Harvey took a step towards him. “Robin doesn’t need to be dragged into this. Roz didn’t need to be dragged into this…” 

“I wasn’t dragged into it,” Roz piped up. “If I would have said no, Nick wouldn’t have dragged me here.” 

“I wouldn’t have,” Nick confirmed. “Again, Kinkle, why are you here?” 

“I’m here because once again, you have dragged us into something concerning your coven’s problems,” Harvey fired back. 

“This won’t be just our coven’s problems if we don’t stop Blackwood,” Nick held his ground. “Do you honestly think the freak tornadoes and earthquakes and weird weather swings were natural? Granted, you didn’t even notice that your own girlfriend was literally only half of herself.” 

“What are you talking about?” Harvey asked. “Half of herself? Sabrina’s fine…” 

“You’re an idiot, Kinkle, you know that?” 

“Yeah? Well, that beats being a complete raging…” 

“Enough!” Sabrina erupted. She stood between Nick and Harvey who had drifted towards one another as they argued, hands on her hips, glaring at each of them in turn. “We don’t have time for my ex-boyfriends to try to out testosterone the other. Harvey, go find Theo and Robin and bring them here. Ambrose, go with him, just in case anything goes wrong. The rest of us will stay here and figure out what comes next.” Harvey looked unsure. Sabrina wasn’t having it. “Go!” 

Harvey jumped a bit but hurried for the door. Ambrose chuckled as he ambled after him. He cuffed Sabrina on her shoulder as he passed. 

“Good to have out back, cousin,” he stated. “Good to have you back.” 

Sabrina blew out an aggravated breath and crossed her arms in annoyance. Beside her, Nick pushed his hands into his pockets and averted his gaze. In her irritation, she didn’t pick up on the shift in Nick. 

“Never a dull moment around here, is it?” Mambo wondered. 

“Sabrina’s love life could be its own movie of the week,” Prudence quipped. “It would certainly have sequels.” Sabrina glared at her. Prudence glared right back. Roz looked uncomfortable. 

“Shall we get back to the matter at hand?” Zelda proposed. 

Those remaining in the room dissolved into planning. Prudence shared the magic that secured the dollhouse with Zelda, Hilda, and Mambo as they discussed where to put Judas should they actually manage to capture him, debated ways to make it even stronger. Sabrina awkwardly approached Roz who had drifted to a corner of the room. 

“Thank you,” she said softly. “For helping.” 

Roz shrugged a single shoulder. 

“This seems important. You and I may not be friends anymore, but that doesn’t mean I want something to happen to you. Or your coven. Never mind Greendale.” 

“I’m so sorry, Roz,” Sabrina said with complete sincerity. “I was literally half of myself and I don’t really know why I did what I did with Harvey. I think I was looking for something familiar.” She bit her lip, anxious. “So much about my life was a lie. So much of it was out of my control. Then I made the choice to stay split in half and I started to lose myself even more as time went on. The idea of Harvey was comforting, even if it was wrong. I would have never come between you two in my full form.” She shook her head. “It doesn’t make things okay, but I’m so sorry, Roz.” A single tear rolled down her cheek. “I miss you.” 

Roz was quiet for several long moments. 

“I miss you, too,” she admitted. “But I’m not quite ready to forgive you, Sabrina. I’m closer than I was, but just – not yet. I need some time.” 

Sabrina nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She glanced over her shoulder, trying to hide how Roz’s words affected her. She frowned. 

“Where did Nick go?” she wondered. 

“I saw him slip out a few minutes ago,” Roz offered. “He, um, looked a little upset.” 

Sabrina’s frown grew. 

“I’ll be back.” 

She left the room and paused in the empty hallway. She looked both ways, searching for a hint as to which direction he went. She picked a direction and set off, concern growing. It wasn’t like Nick to leave in the middle of something important unless something was wrong. 

She found him on the stairs. 

She had found him there before, usually with a book. Stairs, like lunches, seemed to be one of their things. This time, there was no book. He didn’t stand to yell at her the way he had the last time she found him there, new single and in a twist about Caliban’s presence. He simply sat there, elbows on his knees, hands clasped, eyes downcast. 

“Nick?” 

He startled a bit and looked up at Sabrina. 

“Hey,” he greeted. She watched as he tried to shift his facial features from troubled to neutral in an effort to hide whatever he was feeling from her. “Everything okay?” 

“Ambrose and Harvey aren’t back yet,” she reported. “The others are plotting for Judas’ kidnapping.” She took a couple of steps closer. “I looked over my shoulder and you weren’t there.” Another couple of steps. “You would only leave something like that, something so important, if something was wrong.” 

“Everything is…” 

“Don’t say ‘fine,’” Sabrina interrupted. “You told me not to say ‘fine’ when I’m not, and I believe you also mentioned that was a lesson you learned the hard way.” 

Nick sighed, knowing he had been caught. He had to be honest with her, even if his own wound was, not fresh, exactly, but certainly newly opened. 

“Hearing you call me your ex-boyfriend earlier hit harder than I thought it would,” he confessed. “I know that’s what I am, but hearing you say it…” He trailed off and allowed Sabrina to see some of his hurt. “I needed a minute. I was planning to come back in a few.” 

Sabrina’s heart broke. She could sense his hurt, but also the guilt and pain rolling off of him in waves. She herself felt guilty. He had spent so much time in the weeks since he came back focused on her that she wondered if he had let his own well-being slip. She was cautious as she climbed the few stairs between them. She took a seat next to him, leaving a respectable amount of space between them. 

“I’m sorry, Nick…” 

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” he shook his head. “I ended our relationship. You’re not wrong in calling me your ex.” 

Sabrina chose her next words carefully. Nick had been honest with her, even if he still hadn’t shared much of what he had been through with her. She needed to return the favor. She needed to be truthful. 

“Nick, I don’t think of you that way,” she admitted quietly. “As an ex-boyfriend, I mean.” Nick looked at her with confusion. “I know we’re not together, but I can’t think of you as an ex. Harvey? I can. He’s an ex-boyfriend, a past relationship. I know what I said back there, but you… You feel different.” She played with her fingers in her lap. “I can’t explain it, really, but you don’t feel like my ex.” She bit her lip for a moment. “I think that’s why I tried that candle spell,” she confessed. “Because it all hurt so much.”

Nick squeezed his eyes shut as though trying to avoid impact with the painful wall of memories he was speeding towards. 

“I hate that you found it,” she continued. “I saw how much it hurt you.” 

“It felt like we meant nothing to you,” Nick shared. “Like you were trying to forget we ever happened. I knew that spell didn’t actually work, but the symbolism of it spoke loud enough. I know things ended badly, but I wanted to believe that what we had meant something to you.” 

“Our relationship meant everything,” Sabrina told him with a tone that left no room for doubt. “That’s why I did that spell, Nick. Because losing you hurt so much. It was more than I could stand.” She watched as he ran a hand down his face. “I think I knew, deep down, it didn’t work. Or rather, I did know. The Hell half of me told my mortal half as much when we were separated.” 

“I never wanted to hurt you, Sabrina,” he said so quietly she nearly didn’t hear him. “But I said that before, didn’t I? And I did it again anyway.” 

Sabrina thought back to that moment when he confessed his devotion to her, how even after she had spit in his face, he had stayed there, on his knees, telling her he would have never hurt her. He wasn’t wrong in saying he had done it again anyway. She could feel his pain as she sat next to him, fought against the deep instinct to comfort him, that same instinct that told her he needed to feel whatever he was feeling right then without her interference. 

“Neither of us are innocent,” she reminded him. 

“And yet one of us is more guilty than the other,” he replied. There was no use in arguing against the truth. He blew out a breath. “I suppose we should go back to Zelda’s office.” 

“Probably,” Sabrina agreed. 

Neither of them moved. They sat in the quiet for a few minutes, both of them lost in their own thoughts. 

“Sabrina?” Nick finally broke the quiet. 

“Nick?” 

“I’ve never thought of you as my ex-girlfriend,” he confessed. “I can’t.” 

Sabrina didn’t know how to respond. A very big part of her wanted to throw her arms around him, tell him to forget everything that had happened, and move on. Except she had tried that once, when he was fresh from Hell, and that hadn’t worked out so well. They needed to talk about everything that had happened both between them and to them, but she knew, too, that right now wasn’t the time for the talk they needed to have. It never seemed to be the right time. 

They were saved from figuring out the trajectory of their conversation by Academy door opening. Ambrose, Harvey, Theo, and Robin appeared. Nick looked at Sabrina. 

“Duty calls.” 

“Duty calls,” she echoed. She stood and offered him her hand. He took it and allowed her to pull him to his feet. He held it a moment too long, eyes on hers, before he let it go. They both understood what that moment was. It was Sabrina, offering him her hand. Him, accepting it, allowing her to help him, if only to his feet, something he was capable of doing on his own. 

As they followed the group back to Zelda’s office, neither of them missed the fact that they walked closer to one another. 

They had taken a step forward. 

It was the smallest of steps. But it was a start. And the first step was always the hardest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bringing the mortals back into action and perhaps - reconciling the Sabrina/Roz friendship in the future? And don't you worry, I haven't forgotten that Nick asked Sabrina to be friends. Twice... 
> 
> Nipping in and nipping out to nab a twin? Sounds like a doable plan, no? We may be close to Blackwood as well... 
> 
> Let me know your thoughts about this update? Your comments and kudos are all the praise hands! 
> 
> XOXO


	20. Chapter Twenty

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a bit more action, then?

Sabrina stood on the porch of the mortuary, watching as Harvey, Robin, and Ambrose set off in Harvey’s truck after the group reconvened in the Spellman sitting room to bring Robin into the plan and, at Hilda’s insistence, have a bite to eat. Theo and Roz did the same thing at the railing on the other side of the porch stairs. Next to her, Nick stewed. She blew out a breath and decided he was the easiest one to deal with, which was saying something.

“Nicholas.”

“What?” he asked with trepidation.

“Are you pouting?”

“No…” Sabrina eyed him. “Fine.” He pushed off the railing, only to turn his back to it and lean against it, arms crossed over his chest. “I get it. I do. Ambrose has his own score to settle with Blackwood. I get having a past mistake to reckon with far better than most. But I’m better than he is at binding and conjuring. Blackwood will have binding spells, possibly demons…”

“He won’t have demons,” Sabrina said with confidence. “He’s not exactly connected to Hell anymore, is he? And Ambrose is perfectly capable of handling bindings. Yes, you are better. But he can hold his own.”

Nick sighed and raked a hand through his hair.

“I don’t like sitting around,” he admitted.

“Neither do I,” Sabrina reminded him. She watched Roz put a comforting hand on Theo’s shoulder and lead him inside. Her heart squeezed at the distance between her and her friends. She turned back to Nick, aware of the distance between them as well. “What’s really going on, Nick?” she wondered. “Why are you so bent out of shape about not going with them?”

“I want to end Blackwood…”

“Nick.”

Nick blew out another breath, frustrated in the moment by how well Sabrina knew him. There was no hiding from her. There never really had been.

“I was useless during the Pagans’ attempts at ending us,” he reminded her. “I was chained up in the witch’s cell, then I was running around high out of my mind and making all kinds of reckless decisions. Once that was behind me, I was still too messed up to be of any use.”

Sabrina understood.

“You feel guilty for being less involved when the Pagans attacked. You want to make up for that now.”

“I heard people saying I was needed, that I was a powerful warlock. At first, I didn’t care and then I just didn’t have it in me.” His frustration was palpable. Sabrina wondered if it was always like this for him, the swing between being confident and sure versus frustrated and ridden with guilt.

“You had a lot happen to you, Nick,” she said carefully. “I wasn’t exactly around to help either.”

“You saved us all in the end,” Nick pointed out. He drummed his fingers against the wood. “You saved me several times over.”

Sabrina felt a certain sense of hopelessness as she took in Nick’s stressed appearance. He was working through something at possibly the worst time and between the precarious nature of their relationship and how little she knew about what he’d been through, she didn’t know what he needed, how to help him. He saved her the need to figure it out.

“I’m going to go for a quick run,” he decided. “I need to move around. I can’t just stand here.”

Sabrina’s heart sunk further. She wanted to stop him, wanted to sit him down and demand he talk to her about whatever he was feeling. But she didn’t think that was the best idea. Running – movement in general – seemed to help him. She wouldn’t deny him the chance.

“Be careful?” she requested as he started to move towards the stairs.

“I won’t be gone long,” he replied. “I’m going to go to the Academy first to change. I’ll go on a short run, then be right back here. Summon me if Ambrose, Kinkle, and Robin make it back before I do?”

“Of course,” she promised. She watched him descend the stairs. He was crossing the yard when she called out to him. “Nick!” He stopped and turned to her with a raised eyebrow. She smiled and closed her eyes for a moment. She snapped her fingers and when she opened her eyes again, Nick stood by the gate wearing running clothes. “Still got it.”

“Yes,” Nick agreed, “you do.” He returned her smile. “Thank you, Sabrina.”

“Be careful,” she said again. It wasn’t a question this time, but a request.

“Always,” he nodded once. “I’ll be back.” He turned and jogged down the road, away from her, from the mortuary. She blew out a breath and leaned on the railing. She had no idea how long she was there before she heard Theo’s soft voice.

“Nick left?” Theo asked.

“He went on a run,” Sabrina answered.

“Now?” Theo asked with a hint of disbelief. “Seriously?”

“It’s how he copes,” Sabrina said, careful not to say too much. “He’s having a rough day.”

“He’s had a rough six or so months,” Theo offered.

“He really has,” Sabrina sighed, eyes in the direction he went.

“How are you?” Theo continued. “Roz told me about your halves…”

“I’m functioning,” she shrugged. “Things are better than they were, but still not great.” She drummed her fingers on the railing much as Nick had done. “How about you? It’s your boyfriend that has taken off with Ambrose and Harvey to kidnap the son of a crazed former high priest.”

“I’m worried,” Theo admitted. “But I trust Robin. He can take care of himself.”

“Thank you,” Sabrina told him. “For helping us. Again.”

“We’re friends,” Theo reminded her. “Even if the last few months have been hard.”

Tears welled up in Sabrina’s eyes.

“Friends,” she repeated. “I’ve been a terrible one.”

“I guess we’ve all had moments in which we haven’t been at our best,” Theo offered. Sabrina shook her head.

“Don’t give me an easy out, Theo. Not after everything I put you guys through.”

“You’re punishing yourself,” Theo observed, ever astute.

“I don’t know what I’m doing anymore,” Sabrina admitted.

“You haven’t been to school in days,” Theo continued. “Have you been going to classes at the Academy?” Sabrina shook her head.

“I’ve been sticking close to home. I fluctuate between being glad to have so much time with my aunts after feeling like they’ve been too busy for me for months and wanting to be anywhere else because I feel like they’re suffocating me.”

“And you and Nick?” Theo continued.

Sabrina took her time forming her answer. With Roz upset with her, she hadn’t had someone to truly talk to about Nick and all of her conflicted feelings. She had talked about him with Ambrose a bit, but she was aware of the friendship that had developed between Nick and Ambrose. She didn’t want to mess that up. Both Nick and Ambrose needed a friend.

“Things are hard,” she shared. “He’s been incredible. He did everything in his power to reunite my halves, including going back to Hell…”

“He went back to Hell?” Theo interrupted.

“Twice,” Sabrina confirmed without sharing details. “He’s been pretty open about the fact the he came back here to fight for me, but then he found out my being was split in half. He was pretty insistent that we wait to talk about the hard stuff until I was one again, but it’s been several days and today is really the first time we’ve talked at all, save for the day after I was merged.” She sighed. “I don’t know what to do, Theo. He’s not okay. I’m not okay. It’s like we can’t stay apart, but we can’t be together, either. Not until he talks to me.”

“Do you still love him?” Theo wondered.

Sabrina took a big breath. She had been thinking about this very question in her quiet moments, trying to sort through her feelings for Nick.

“I do,” she confessed. “I never stopped, even though I certainly tried to.” She didn’t bother to tell Theo about the candle spell. “But he hurt me, Theo. I know he wasn’t himself, that he still had some of the Dark Lord in him and he had been through so much. But I can’t just forget any of that. I can’t forget that he let me go when I practically begged him not to.”

“I don’t think he would want you to,” Theo guessed. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you at school, and even earlier, when we were all watching Robin, Harvey, and Ambrose drive away. He still loves you, too.”

“I just wish he’d talk to me,” Sabrina sighed. She shook her head. “Seriously, enough about me, Theo. The last year has been about me. How are you and Robin? Tell me everything.”

They stayed on the porch together for a long time, Theo catching Sabrina up on everything he had been up to over the last few months. It was nice, to simply talk to a friend.

Eventually, a freshly showered Nick materialized at the gate. Sabrina watched him carefully for any sign that he wasn’t okay. She was relieved to find him relaxed, his eyes still clear, his body language less tense. His run had, once again, done what he needed it to do. They traded a small knowing smile as he passed them with a polite hello. He had his hand on the doorknob when the rumbling of a vehicle made its way along the drive.

“Is that…?” Nick wondered, coming to stand at the railing.

“It’s Harvey’s truck,” Sabrina confirmed as she and Theo hurried to their feet.

They held their collective breath as they waited for the truck to appear. This time, there were two people in the cab instead of three. Sabrina’s heart sunk. But when the truck turned to navigate a bend in the road, she saw Ambrose perched in the truck bed, Judas in his care. Relief field Sabrina.

“Praise Hecate,” Nick breathed.

“They’ve got him,” Sabrina confirmed.

“I’ll tell Zelda.” Nick left them, his confidence back to its full capacity.

Theo rumbled down the stairs in a hurry to get to Robin. Sabrina stood at the top of the stairs, waiting. She watched as Ambrose hopped down from the truck bed. Judas dutifully followed when offered a hand. Sabrina watched curiously. If she were a prisoner, she certainly wouldn’t be coming quietly. They had all seen that when they dragged her queen half from Hell.

“Everything went okay?” she asked as the group climbed the stairs.

“Well, we’ve angered Blackwood, but we have Judas,” Ambrose answered. “We knew that would happen, so I’d call it a draw at best”

“Everyone is okay?” Sabrina continued, trying to look at each one of them at the same time to check for herself.

“We’re fine,” Harvey answered. He offered nothing else. He opened the door and didn’t hold it for anyone else as he marched inside.

“Still not a fan of his,” Ambrose commented. Sabrina rolled her eyes. “Judas? Let’s get you inside.” Judas dutifully nodded.

“Why is he so compliant?” Sabrina asked as she opened the door for Ambrose and Judas. Robin and Theo were too wrapped up in one another in the yard to be concerned with them at the moment. “He’s just – doing whatever you tell him.”

“He’s never thought for himself,” Ambrose said. “He also went through the aging process rapidly, remember? He was a baby and then he was fifteen. There was no childhood, no time for him to develop his own thoughts, feelings, beliefs.”

“That’s…” Sabrina considered the lanky teenager in front of her. He stood there quietly, waiting for someone to tell him what to do next. “Sad.”

“It is,” Ambrose agreed with a sad look at the teenager. “Come along, Judas.”

Judas obediently followed Ambrose with Sabrina bringing up the rear. The sitting room was full, but quiet. All eyes turned to Judas.

“Judas,” Zelda rose to her feet. “Welcome.”

“Thank you for having me,” he said automatically. Zelda’s surprise at his answer was palpable, but she didn’t let it deter her.

“We have some questions for you,” she said in a kind voice. “Once we’ve spoke, we’ll get you settled in. You’ll be staying with us for the time being.”

“We’ll feed you up,” Hilda added kindly. “From the looks of you, you could use a good meal. A bath and some clean clothes, too, I’d say. You’re safe here, little lamb.”

“Thank you,” he said again. Hilda fussed with walking him to the couch. Sabrina slipped to Nick’s side.

“Everything good?” she asked in a low voice.

“Everything is good,” he confirmed in his own low tone. She nodded just once and focused her attention on Judas. Zelda lowered herself to sit next to him. Hilda offered him a glass of water which he accepted with another polite exchange.

“Judas, how is your father?” Zelda asked in a conversational tone, the way one may ask the same question to an acquaintance on the street.

“He’s well,” Judas replied. “Busy, but well.”

“Busy?” Zelda continued, this time with a curious tilt. “With what?”

Judas looked uncomfortable.

“I’m not supposed to tell.”

“I suppose you’re not,” Zelda agreed with a fake smile. “But it’s just us, the Spellmans and a few of our friends. We know your father well.” She widened her fake smile. “Why, I delivered you, Judas. I remember it like it was yesterday.”

Because it practically was yesterday. The fifteen-year-old teenager next to her should have been a not quite one-year-old infant.

“You say Father Blackwood is well?” Hilda prompted in her sweet tone, careful to use Blackwood’s former formal title with Judas in an effort to redirect him.

“Very well,” Judas confirmed. “He’s immortal and says Judith and I will be, too.” He looked around the room. “Would you mind telling me why I’m here? Father won’t be happy to find me missing.”

“Well, Judas, you’re here because…”

“Stop!”

Nick stepped forward. All eyes snapped to him.

“Nicholas, what is the meaning…” Zelda scolded.

“He’s bound,” Nick cut her off. “If he talks – if he reveals Blackwood’s secrets – he dies.”

Zelda looked at Judas, expecting to see an obvious sign of the binds Nick spoke of. She saw nothing but a sad young boy that had been used as a puppet and deprived of his childhood.

“Nicholas, I don’t think…”

“Judas.” Nick went to him, ignoring Zelda. “Show me your hands.” Something akin to fear flickered across Judas’ features. “It’s okay,” Nick prompted in a gentle tone. “Hold your hands out. Like this.” He held his hands before him.” With painfully slow movements, Judas extended his hands out. They shook slightly. “Good,” Nick praised. “Now, turn them over.” He turned his own palms to the ceiling. “Like this.” Judas made fists before her turned his palms upward. “Uncurl you fingers, Judas.” Judas didn’t. “Judas, it’s okay.” Nick moved closer, his hands still out before him. “I’m not going to hurt you. I’m going to help you.”

“Father said I can’t speak of him or I’ll die.” There was panic in Judas’ voice. “I don’t want to die, at least not without Judith.”

“Fathers aren’t always right,” Nick said patiently. Sabrina frowned a bit, picking up on something in Nick’s tone that the others would miss because they didn’t know him like she did. She cataloged it for later. “The best thing you can do – for yourself and for Judith – is to open your fists and let me see your palms so I can help you.”

Nick held eye contact with Judas, waiting. The boy’s hands shook harder as he ever so slowly uncurled his fingers. Hilda gasped.

“Heavens!” Zelda exclaimed.

On Judas’ palms were intricated symbols, burned into his skin.

“You’re bound,” Nick confirmed. “To your father’s secrets. It’s how he’s controlled you all this time.” Slowly, Judas nodded. “I can unbind you, if you’ll let me. It might hurt a little, but it won’t be terrible, and it will be relatively quick.” Judas just looked at him. Nick took that as consent to proceed. “Okay, then.”

He set to work, muttering an incantation over and over as his hands moved over Judas’ in the same pattern repeatedly. Slowly, the symbols on Judas’ hands began to fade. Ambrose sidled up to Sabrina’s side.

“He’s one Heaven of a warlock,” he said with admiration.

“He is,” Sabrina agreed. There was no denying it. No matter her complicated feelings towards Nick or their even more complex relationship, it was simply a fact that Nick was a powerful warlock. In that moment, Sabrina couldn’t help but wonder if he were even more powerful than Ambrose.

It took a quarter of an hour for the symbols to disappear entirely, longer than Nick expected. The bindings were well done, made to hold.

“There,” Nick said when he was certain the bindings were gone. “You’re free of your father.”

Judas looked up at him, eyes shining.

“I’m free,” he repeated. “I… I can feel it…”

Nick nodded, smiling a bit at the boy’s wonder.

“I bet you can,” he agreed. “I’ll have to turn you back over to the Spellman women now, but you’re safe. You’re in good hands.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “May I suggest cooperating? Speaking from experience, its generally best if you do what they’re asking when a Spellman has their mind set to something.”

“He’s talking about you,” Ambrose muttered to Sabrina. Sabrina elbowed him and found satisfaction in his grunt that came courtesy of her elbow. Nick came to them as Zelda and Hilda resumed their positions on either side of Judas. “How did you know?” Ambrose asked Nick. “About the bindings?”

“Blackwood is a lot of things, but he’s not ignorant,” Nick replied in a low voice, eyes on Judas. “Besides, I’ve had those bindings put on me. Zelda or Hilda would have seen them eventually, but perhaps not before it was too late. I just happen to know how they work.”

“You had them on you?” Sabrina questioned.

“Not now, Sabrina,” he replied.

“Who took them off of you?” she continued.

“I did,” he replied. “We’ll talk about it later, okay?”

“I’ll add it to the list,” she snipped, annoyed by his constant reluctance to talk to her. Nick shot her a bit of an annoyed look.

“I really need to brush up on my bindings,” Ambrose muttered next to them, his thirst for knowledge as real as ever.

Sabrina crossed her arms over her chest, feeling an odd conflict of emotions. She was irritated with Nick’s lack of communication, curious about why he had bindings on him, who he had been bound to, and why. How had he removed them from himself? She thought of that odd feeling she got when he said father weren’t always right, the way his tone changed just slightly. It wasn’t the time, but she wanted nothing more than to drag him out of the room and have it out, once and for all, so they could move on.

Her attention was drawn from her own thoughts by Judas who seemed ready to talk now that he had his freedom.

“Father has awful plans for all of you,” he told Zelda. “Or, well, maybe not all of you.” He looked towards Roz, Harvey, Theo, and Robin who stood in their own little cluster. Sabrina noted that with them across the room and her with Nick and Ambrose, Prudence nearby, it was like they had chosen sides.

Mortal versus magic.

She wondered if, perhaps deep down, she truly had picked a side.

That was another thought for another time.

“I don’t know them,” Judas indicated the mortals. “I don’t know if they’re safe from him. Probably not. He doesn’t seem to care who he hurts. He can’t die, after all.”

“He can,” Prudence spoke up. “But you let your big sister worry about that.”

“What is he planning?” Zelda wondered. “What can you tell us?”

“He plans to unleash the fullest extent of the Eldritch Terrors,” Judas revealed. “He’s allowed them to have some fun from time to time, causing earthquakes and odd weather, but he plans to release them to wreak havoc upon the Spellmans and the coven that abandoned him.”

“What are these Terrors capable of?” Ambrose asked.

“Mass destruction,” Judas answered. “They can cause weather swings, get into your head and make you do things, re-live things. There is really no limit to what they can do. Their sole job is to cause chaos and destruction.” He looked around the room with wide innocent eyes. “They take orders from their master and their master is Father. He intends them to kill you all, and they will stop at nothing until you’re dead. They can’t stop until they are called off or their master is dead.”

“He won’t call them off, so he will have to die,” Prudence stated.

“He can’t be killed,” Judas insisted.

“He can,” Prudence said again. “I told you, let me worry about that.”

“How do we fight these Terrors?” Nick asked. “What can we do to slow them down?”

“I’d imagine you need more of you,” Judas stated. “Father is gleeful about how small your coven is.”

“Because of him,” Zelda said with malice. “Don’t you worry, Judas. We’ll stop these Terrors and your father, too.”

“But… I love my Father.”

Judas looked as conflicted as he sounded.

“Our father is a horrible human,” Prudence stated. “He doesn’t deserve the breath he takes.”

“But he’s our father…”

“Not all fathers are created equal,” Nick spoke. “Sometimes they don’t know how to treat others. Other times, they have sinister plans and need to be stopped.” He glanced at Sabrina and she took up the line he threw her.

“My father – my biological father – was not a good person,” she told Judas. “I killed him and I’m better – we’re all better – for it. I know your father is all you’ve ever known, but you have a home here, with this coven.” She looked to Zelda to confirm the claim she made.

“Sabrina is right,” Zelda agreed. “You have a home with our coven, Judas. Judith will as well. You simply have to trust us.”

“He’s coming for you,” Judas said. He sounded afraid “He planned to attack soon anyway, but now that you have me, it will only be a matter of time.”

“You can’t stay here,” Nick realized. “None of the Spellmans can. The mortuary isn’t safe.”

“Nicholas is right,” Mambo spoke for the first time. Sabrina had nearly forgotten she was there as she had blended into the background nearly seamlessly. “The mortuary isn’t secure enough, not against the full fury of Blackwood and his Terrors.”

“We’ll go to the Academy, then,” Zelda decided. She looked around the room. Her eyes settled on the mortals. “You’ll have to come as well. Blackwood will come for you when he can’t find us.”

“Wouldn’t he come to the Academy?” Harvey questioned.

“The Academy belongs to me now,” Zelda explained. “The school’s loyalties are to me. He broke in once. He won’t do it again. I sealed the passage he used months ago and used every bit of magic I know to ensure he never walks those halls again.”

“We need to attack first,” Ambrose said, thinking fast. “Use the element of surprise. It won’t be much, but it will be something.”

“We have to do it soon,” Nick added, following along with Ambrose’s thought process. “He’s coming for us now that we have Judas.”

“We stirred the nest,” Ambrose nodded. “Auntie, we’ll need help though. We can’t do this alone. No matter how powerful some of our members are, we can’t face Blackwood and these Eldritch Terrors without help.”

“I suppose we’ll need to summon the hedge witches again,” Zelda said with some trepidation. “They may not be happy.”

“Give them enough wine and they will be,” Sabrina muttered. Ambrose snorted.

“I have people I can summon,” Mambo offered. “People like me.”

“Do it,” Zelda nodded. “I’ll call upon Hecate for her help, her power.”

“I’ll ask Cee if he has any incubus friends,” Hilda decided.

“What about Dorian?” Sabrina asked. “He’s aligned with us and he’ll want Blackwood dead as much as we do, if for no other reason than Blackwood’s poisoning cost him a lot of business while he was a barkeep.”

“Dorian and his legion of demons will help,” Nick agreed. He exhaled a breath. “I have contacts in Romania. They may be willing to help.” He ignored Sabrina’s curious look.

“Very well, Mr. Scratch.” Zelda surveyed the room. “Sabrina, Nicholas, go prepare the desecrated church for our guests. We want it to look like we were expecting them as opposed to the last time we summoned the hedge witches. Mambo, Ambrose, Prudence – we’ll go to my office at the Academy and begin to plan our attack. Hilda…”

“I’ll settle in Judas and the others,” she finished. “Then call Cee. I’ll join you when I’m finished.”

“Sabrina and Nicholas, you’ll join us once you’re finished at the desecrated church.”

“Yes, auntie,” Sabrina confirmed.

Zelda inhaled a breath threw her nose and exhaled through her mouth. She looked determined.

“Very well then. Let’s get to it.”

They started to file out of the room. Sabrina was nearly out the door when Zelda spoke.

“Sabrina? A word.”

Wordless, Sabrina followed Zelda into the study.

“What is it auntie?” she asked as Zelda shut the door behind her. Zelda fixed her with a steady gaze.

“Are you sure you’re up for this, Sabrina?” she asked. “Tell me the truth.”

“Of course I am,” Sabrina scoffed. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’ve been through a lot,” Zelda reminded her. “If you don’t feel up to facing down Blackwood…”

“This is my family and my coven,” Sabrina stated. “I’m doing this.”

Zelda continued to study her. There was determination in her niece, the fire she had come to associate with her that, in hindsight, had been gone for so long. She felt a wave of guilt for not noticing sooner. Part of her wanted to insist Sabrina stay behind. The rest of her knew that Sabrina would do no such thing.

“Very well then,” Zelda nodded once. “You’ll be careful.”

“Likewise,” Sabrina replied with a look that dared Zelda to be anything but.

“Always,” Zelda confirmed. She smirked a bit. “I’m quite looking forward to bringing that bastard to his knees.”

“You’re also looking forward to having Leticia back,” Sabrina said knowingly. “Or, well, Judith.”

“Perhaps,” Zelda ventured. Sabrina knew better. Her aunt had a bond with the babe she had intended to raise as her own. “We’ll sort her name out later.” She drew herself up to her full height. “Come, Sabrina. We’ve ended the Dark Lord. Let’s not stop now.”

Sabrina followed Zelda out of the office. She was surprised to find Nick waiting in the foyer.

“It’s not safe to travel alone,” he greeted.

“I’m sure that’s why you waited, Mr. Scratch,” Zelda quipped. “I have no need for an escort. I’ll see you and Sabrina soon.”

She teleported on the spot, leaving Sabrina and Nick alone.

“You’re upset with me,” Nick observed.

“I’m frustrated with you,” Sabrina corrected, choosing honesty. “It’s always ‘not now, Sabrina’ or ‘later, Sabrina.’ I’m starting to think you have no intentions of talking to me about anything of any importance.”

Nick sighed.

“Sabrina, do you really think me explaining why I had binds on me as a child in a room full of people is the right time? Never mind the fact that in the moment, our goal was to question Judas and learn what Blackwood’s plan is?”

“Well, no,” Sabrina admitted. “But you keep giving me a little here, a little there, but nothing of sustenance. I want to talk about things, Nick. But I’m starting to think you don’t.”

Nick’s own frustration started to bubble to the surface.

“You’re pushing,” he stated. “While there’s a part of me that’s glad to see it after watching you as half of yourself for so long, there are two of us involved in this and one of us – me – has had to reckon with a lot. I’m not saying you haven’t been through a lot yourself, but my coping capacity is limited to what’s right in front of me. At first, I had to focus on getting you whole again. Right now, I have to focus on Blackwood. When Blackwood is defeated…” He hesitated. Sabrina raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. “When Blackwood is defeated, I can focus on talking to you.” He looked pained. “Trust me, Sabrina, I’m going to need all I’ve got to get through those conversations.”

Sabrina looked appropriately admonished.

“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I know I push sometimes. Or a lot of times.” She exhaled a long breath. “I just want to fix things, Nick. And not just with you. With everyone.”

Nick felt the bubble of hope that had taken up residence in his chest swell a size at the mention of fixing things with him. Still, he had to proceed with caution.

“Patience isn’t your strong suit,” he noted, drawing a small smile from her. “But if you want to fix things – correctly – it’s going to take some time.”

Sabrina knew he was right. Her mistakes had always come from impulse, from reacting too fast, not thinking things through. She needed to exercise patience. For herself, but also for Nick.

“To the desecrated church?” she asked.

“To the desecrated church,” Nick agreed. He held out his hand. “I’ll need a Spellman to teleport out of this house. It feels like a lot of work to walk the fifty or so yards to be outside the perimeter.” She had to smile a bit as she took it, recognizing it for the flirtatious moment it was.

Before she could blink her eyes, they were at the church. Inside, they paused in the entry and looked around. There were cobwebs, a thick layer of dust. A raccoon scurried across the exposed beams above them.

“First things first I guess,” Nick said. With a single incantation, the pews disappeared, leaving a big open space.

“Where do things go when we make them disappear?” Sabrina wondered.

“I don’t actually know,” Nick admitted. Sabrina cocked an eyebrow.

“Something Nicholas Scratch doesn’t know,” she observed. “This is, in fact, a historical moment.”

“There’s plenty I don’t know,” he assured her. “See what you can do about the cobwebs?”

Sabrina considered them for a moment, then chose her spell. Wind flowed from her fingertips as she ushered the cobwebs and dusts out of the windows. When she lowered her hands, she felt a certain tingle in her veins.

“That’s the first time I’ve done magic since I merged,” she confessed. “That and when I changed your clothes. It felt really good.”

“You’re a powerful witch, Sabrina,” Nick reminded her. “There’s no reason to be afraid of that.”

“Even if power is the worst part of me?” she asked in a vulnerable moment.

“Power isn’t bad,” he told her. “Not when used correctly.”

Sabrina gave him a tentative smile. She wanted to believe him but given how she had allowed power to overtake her, she was conflicted now about accessing her deep well of it.

“Power or not, you’re the conjurer here,” she said. “Drum up a few beds?”

Nick made a show of pushing up his sleeves for the relatively simple spell. With another incantation, a number of beds appeared around them, not enough for all they hoped would arrive, but hopefully enough for those who would want to sleep. Stacks of sheets, blankets, and pillows were folded neatly on top of each of them.

“You couldn’t conjure them already made?” Sabrina asked.

“Household spells aren’t my forte,” Nick countered.

“Mine either,” Sabrina admitted wryly. “We can’t all be Hilda.”

“Guess we’ll have to do this the mortal way.”

They set about their work, fitting sheets, turning down blankets, and plumping pillows. Both of them were thinking of the last time they were here, doing this very task.

“Feels a bit like déjà vu, doesn’t it?” Sabrina chanced after a span of quiet.

“All we need is Prudence,” Nick agreed. He glanced at her. He was certain she was more beautiful now than she had been then. She looked sad, however. “What’s on your mind?” he dared to ask.

Sabrina took her time replying. He had said she pushed earlier, that he needed to focus on Blackwood for now. But she didn’t think it was fair to deny her own feelings, either.

“Know how you didn’t like hearing me call you my ex-boyfriend earlier?”

“Yeah…”

She swallowed down a lump of emotions.

“I didn’t like hearing you call us ‘friends.’”

Nick sighed heavily and sat down on the bed he was making. He raked a hand through his hair before he looked at her.

“I called you my friend because I couldn’t stand the idea of you not being in my life,” he admitted. “I knew I had broken up with you, but I just…” He shook his head sadly. “I didn’t want a life without you in it. Friends felt better than the alternative.”

Sabrina thought of the moment they crossed paths in the hallway, how he had apologized and again asked to be friends. She hadn’t replied but had gone home to burn that stupid candle. Looking back, she saw the vulnerability in him, the hurt. She had been too invested in her own pain to notice then. It was one more thing she regretted.

“I can’t be your friend, Nick,” she confessed. “I just – can’t.”

“I know.”

A heavy silence fell between them.

“We’re not friends,” Sabrina finally said. “We don’t feel like exes. What are we then, Nick?”

“Inevitable,” he reminded her. “All or nothing.”

“All or nothing,” Sabrina repeated. “We can’t do anything halfway, can we, Scratch?”

“No, Sabrina,” he agreed as he stood. “We can’t.”

He resumed his task. She watched him, thinking. He hadn’t called her Spellman in the entire time he had been back. It made sense when she was half of being, but now she found herself longing to hear that name fall from his mouth. She bit her lip from saying as much and returned to her own task.

She had no idea how they would move forward, if they even could. But she was certain they couldn’t be friends. He was right. They were all or nothing.

She didn’t know if either of them were strong enough to handle being nothing to one another.

But, she worried, they might not be strong enough to be all, either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're going to war against Blackwood. It's going to be wild. 
> 
> Also, I firmly believe Nick's suggestion of them being friends not once but twice in Part 3 was for this reason - he doesn't want to be without her. 
> 
> Some of you picked up on how they're having these small conversations and you're on it. They're very slowly chipping away. Big talk(s?) are coming, but these little ones are significant. 
> 
> But for now - war. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought! XOXO


	21. Chapter Twenty-One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shall we go to war?

Sabrina sat at the top of the Academy stairs and surveyed the controlled chaos below. The hedge witches had come without protest this time. They knew of Blackwood as it were and with news of his new threat, they wanted to end him nearly as much as Zelda, although none as much as Prudence. Mambo’s friends had arrived as well. They stood off on their own, their clothing bright, their air eccentric. They looked to Mambo the way their own coven looked to Zelda. Cee had managed to round up a small group of incubi friends and Zelda had led a rather elaborate ceremony in which she prayed to Hecate for strength and support. Sabrina was fairly certain she had made it all up on the spot. 

And then there were Nick’s Romanian contacts. Sabrina had thought there would be a handful at most. She hadn’t expected three dozen witches and warlocks to appear upon Nick’s call. They were a jovial group, loud and friendly. As she watched Nick with them, she couldn’t help but be a little jealous. He was sociable with them, smiling and talking, even laughing. There was one witch in particular that was tall and beautiful and determined to catch his eye. He was polite to her, didn’t give her any reason to believe he was interested in more, but it still pulled at Sabrina to see anyone look at Nick the way she knew she had once upon a time. 

“You’re wallowing.” 

Ambrose appeared behind her. 

“Am not.” 

“Are too.” 

“Am not!” 

“Are too.” Ambrose lowered himself next to her with no need to raise his voice because he knew he was right. “You’re sitting up here all by your lonesome not to marvel at the fact that witches and warlocks from around the globe have gathered at your school to help defend your coven, but to pout about the fact that your ex-boyfriend has a group of people he’s friendly with that you don’t know.” 

“I’m observing…” 

“You’re observing the tall, beautiful witch – her name is Alina, by the way – that wants Nicholas’ undivided attention.” Sabrina stewed. She hated that Ambrose could see through her. “You will note that Nicholas hasn’t been anything more than polite.” 

“Who are they?” Sabrina asked. “How does he know them?” 

“They’re gypsies,” Ambrose said, ever the know it all. “Witches and warlocks, but gypsies all the same. Romani. They live in a small village in the Romanian mountains. This particular coven isn’t as nomadic as gypsies of centuries past, but they don’t have to be. They are largely insulated from the general population where they live. Romania is known for its own mythical beings. Dracula, remember? Of course the country has a decent number of witches and warlocks.” 

“Nick never mentioned…” 

“Did you ever ask?” Ambrose asked, again with that all-knowing way of his. 

“No,” Sabrina sighed. That was what was truly plaguing her. She had never stopped to ask Nick about his past. He had said he had no parents and grew up in the Church of Night. She had taken that at face value and never considered that he would have had a life, somewhere, before he was orphaned. “How could I have been so self-absorbed to have never asked my boyfriend what happened to his parents?” 

“To be fair, you had a lot happen to you over this last year,” Ambrose reminded her. “And Nicholas doesn’t strike me as the type to volunteer information about himself.” 

“He certainly doesn’t,” Sabrina agreed. She watched with a sense of melancholy as he laughed at something an older warlock told him. She noted that most of those gathered below had a goblet of wine or spirits in hand. Nick did not. He looked her way. She quickly averted her eyes. Ambrose chuckled. She glared at him. “Shut up.” 

“Zelda said you spoke with Dorian?” he asked, recognizing he needed to change the subject. 

“He and a select band of demons will meet us in the field near the sawmill when its time,” Sabrina confirmed. “He was nearly gleeful. It seems the Plague Kings will be joining us. They want a crack at Blackwood as well.” 

“Prudence gets to kill him,” Ambrose stated. 

“She does,” Sabrina nodded. “They know that. They know she has to be the one.” She considered Ambrose. “Let’s talk about you for a change. What’s the deal with you and Prudence?” 

“Let’s not touch that,” Ambrose try to avoid. 

“Oh no,” Sabrina shook her head. “We’ve spent most of this year focused on my problems. I’d quite like to focus on yours.” 

“Prudence and I are complicated.” 

“Continue.” 

Ambrose knew he was trapped. He reasoned it might be nice to talk about his issues with someone. Even if it were his own cousin. 

“I convinced her not to kill Blackwood when we had the chance,” he shared. “I wanted to bring him back here, question him, study his egg. If I would have let her kill him, we wouldn’t be in this situation.” 

“If you would have killed him, we wouldn’t have been able to get the Dark Lord out of Nick,” Sabrina reminded him. “I don’t know that Nick would have held on much longer if we hadn’t had Blackwood.” 

“True,” Ambrose sighed. “Prudence and I have our own level of complications. We’re dancing around our issues, much like you and Nicholas.” 

“We aren’t dancing,” Sabrina shook her head. “We’re full on avoiding. At least Nick is.”

“I’d guess you’re doing your fair share of avoiding, too.” 

Sabrina huffed. 

“I hate that you seem to know everything.” She picked at her tights for something to do. “Sometimes I’m okay, Ambrose. And then other times, like right now, everything feels heavy and suffocating. It’s not the time for me to be wrestling with memories of what my Hell half did or how my mortal half stole my best friend’s boyfriend, but here we are. Never mind how I bowled right over the fact that my boyfriend was suffering severe PTSD and addiction and my family was fighting for survival while I was chasing a crown I never truly wanted.” 

“You’ve been through a lot, Sabrina,” Ambrose said again. “You wouldn’t be human if you weren’t fighting with all of this.” 

“Honestly, Ambrose, I’d run away if I thought it would fix things.” 

“I can assure you that’s not the answer,” he told her. 

“I know,” Sabrina agreed, thinking of how both Nick and Prudence had essentially done just that and months later, they were still struggling. Her threat was empty, but she sometimes found herself fantasizing about what it would be like to walk away from the mortuary and never come back. Except even in her fantasies, she always ended up missing home. “Maybe once Blackwood is behind us I can actually deal with some of this.” 

“Maybe we all can,” Ambrose mused. 

Below, Zelda swept into the room, flanked by Hilda and Mambo. 

“There’s our cue,” Ambrose said. 

He stood and offered Sabrina his hand. She took it and allowed him to pull her to her feet. She trailed behind him as they descended the stairs and joined the group gathering around Zelda. Ambrose took his place with the Spellman family. Sabrina found herself hanging at the edge of the group. She felt out of place again, on an island all alone. Zelda shot her a curious look but didn’t comment. 

She launched right into a welcome speech, commanding the room as she thanked them, then began to share their plans. Sabrina half listened, her mind drifting. She kept trying to pull it back, aware that she needed all of her focus for the task at hand, but she fought to keep herself present.

“Sabrina?” Nick appeared beside her. “Come with me for a minute.” 

He didn’t wait for her to agree. He caught her hand and led her into the nearest classroom. 

“What’s going on?” she asked as the door shut behind them. 

“I wanted to check on you,” he told her. “You’ve been – weird – this afternoon.” 

“My coven is about to go war with Blackwood’s Terrors,” she reminded him. “There is a whole host of witches and warlocks I don’t know at my school. I had to summon my half-brother who happens to be King of Hell and ask for his help not a week after thinking I’d left that place for good. Of course I’ve been weird.” 

“You spent the last hour sitting at the top of the stairs alone,” Nick pointed out, letting her know he had noticed. “Just now, you were basically one with the wall instead of right in the thick of things. I expected you to be standing with your family.” 

Sabrina crossed her arms over herself, but not in a defensive way. It was a protective gesture, a way to feel safe. 

“Know how you don’t like to talk about things?” she asked. “This is me, doing the same.” 

“Sabrina…” 

“I’m fine, Nick.” She made to push past him. “We should get back out there. It’s nearly time.” 

He stopped her. 

“Sabrina, if you’re not up for this…” 

“It’s my family,” she stated. “My coven. I seem to remember you calling me out once on not being there when it mattered. I’m not repeating that mistake.” 

She tried to push past him again. Again, he stopped her. 

“I’m not letting you put yourself in danger if you’re not focused enough to handle it,” he informed her. “We have no idea what we’re about to face. If you’re not sharp, I’m not letting you out of this Academy. You can stay here with the mortals. I bound them into the safety of the common room. I can do the same for you.” 

Sabrina glared at him. 

“Who, exactly, do you think you are, telling me what I will and won’t do, threatening to bound me to this Academy so I can’t leave?” 

“I’m someone who isn’t willing to let the girl he cares about put herself in harm’s way when she’s not up to the task.” 

“I’m more than up for the task, Nicholas,” she stated, feeling some of her fire come back. “I will not allow my family and the people _I_ care about to go out there without me.” 

“Then focus,” Nick ordered. “I know you’ve been through a lot. I know you’re dealing with a lot. But you cannot think about any of that right now, no matter how hard it is. You have to focus on the task before you and nothing else, not until we’re back at this Academy and Blackwood is no more.” 

“Doesn’t the same go for you?” Sabrina countered. 

“It does,” Nick nodded. “Which is why I’ve got you in here right now. Because if I let you go into battle and I know you’re not one hundred present I’m not going to be able to focus either.” 

They stared one another down. The tension between them was palpable. Sabrina was tempted to kiss him. It wasn’t appropriate, and if they were to kiss one another again, she didn’t want it to happen like this, moments before they went into a battle of unknowns. 

It was the perfect time to kiss him. 

She lunged forward and grabbed his face in her hands. He was too startled to stop her lips from landing on his. 

Nick tensed and reflexively pushed her away. 

Sabrina gasped as air flew back into her lungs. She looked at him with her eyes wide, wondering what she’d just done. She didn’t have time for another thought before she was back in Nick’s arms, his lips on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held herself close. 

For a few moments, neither of them thought. They just felt, lips on one another, everything else forgotten. 

It was Nick who pulled away, gently this time. 

“Sabrina…” 

“We shouldn’t have done that,” she finished, sure that’s what he was going to say even if she didn’t mean it herself. Nick shook his head. 

“I don’t regret it. We’re going into battle and if the worst happens…” 

“Don’t say that,” Sabrina cut him off. “I can’t lose anyone, Nick. Not after I just…” 

“Just what?” Nick prompted. Sabrina shook her head. 

“I just can’t lose anyone,” she said. Unbidden, images of her aunts’ headstones, of Nick in stone, of her friends’ skeletons all floated through her mind. She stifled a breath. She had just gotten them back. She couldn’t lose them now. 

“Sabrina?” Nick asked, full of concern. 

She swallowed hard and raised her eyes to his. 

“I can’t lose anyone,” she said with a steely determination. “I won’t.” 

“Sabrina…” Nick warned, trying to get her to tell him where her mind was. 

“We need to get out there.” Again, she tried to push past him. Nick caught her by the upper arm. “Nick, we need to go.” 

“You can’t lose anyone,” he repeated. “But remember, Sabrina Spellman. There are a lot of people that can’t lose you either.” 

The look that passed between them was loaded with unsaid words. Slowly, Sabrina nodded, hearing everything he didn’t say. Nick let her go, satisfied that she was focused now, and opened the door for her. They rejoined the group just as they were starting to file out the door. 

“Nice of you to join us,” Zelda hissed when she spied Nick and Sabrina.

“I needed a word with Sabrina,” Nick left no room for argument. Zelda glared at him but said nothing. Instead, she swooped away to lead the group into battle. 

“I think you enjoy antagonizing her,” Sabrina muttered. 

“It annoys her that I’m not afraid of her,” Nick replied. Sabrina glanced at him as they descended the stairs of the Academy. 

“I don’t think you’re afraid of much, Scratch.” 

“There are things I’m terrified of,” he countered. “But Zelda Spellman isn’t one. Neither is Faustus Blackwood.” 

Sabrina said nothing. She was certain she and Nick shared some of the same fears. She caught the Romanian witch – Alina – trying to catch Nick’s eye. She rolled her eyes. Nick noticed. He was well aware of Alina’s attempts to get his attention. He was also uninterested and mildly amused at how bothered Sabrina was by it all. 

“Who are those people anyway?” Sabrina asked. “Your friends from Romania? Ambrose said they’re gypsies.” 

“Gypsies who happen to be witches and warlocks,” he confirmed. “They’re my mom’s coven.” 

Surprise filled Sabrina’s feature. 

“Your mom’s coven? Are any of them…” 

“Distant relatives?” he asked. “A few of them, yeah.” 

He left it there. 

“I’m guessing Alina isn’t one of those,” Sabrina muttered to herself. Nick still heard her. 

“I’m not interested in her,” he said. “I just kissed you, remember?” 

Again, Sabrina didn’t reply. She kept quiet, following the pack. They walked for a while, going deep into the woods. Nick stayed close, but they didn’t speak again. 

“Not far now,” muttered one of Mambo’s warlocks. “I can feel the urge to fight brewing in my veins.” 

Sabrina moved ever so closer to Nick. Whereas the Romanians were boisterous and friendly if not a bit lacking in manners, Mambo’s people had an air of danger around them. They seemed wild, untamed. They made Sabrina uneasy. 

Nick stopped suddenly. 

“Nick?” Sabrina questioned. 

“Something’s not right,” he said in a hushed voice. 

“What do you mean?” 

Nick shook his head, eyes searching. 

“I don’t know. I can feel it though. Something’s off.” 

“Nick, I don’t think…” 

The ground began to shake. A faint rumble sounded in the distance. It continued to grow louder, never breaking, the ground trembling harder. The group, several paces ahead of them now, stopped. Some looked around, others murmured to their neighbor as they tried to figure out what was happening. Nick looked to Sabrina. 

“Trust me?” he held out his hand. She took it without thought. 

In a flash, they were on a nearby ridgetop overlooking the old mill Blackwood was holed up in. Sabrina gasped at the scene below them. Somehow, Blackwood had already assembled his own army in the large clearing around the mill. They stood waiting, Blackwood flanked by Agatha and Judith, the few remaining Judas boys surrounding them. But worse were the creatures that spanned wide on either side of them. They looked like demons or else mythical beings from the mythology books Ambrose had read to her when she was a child, the same books Nick referenced from time to time. They were all shapes, all sizes, all colors, one more fierce than the next. The sheer energy of them was causing the ground to shake. 

“Unholy shit,” Nick breathed. 

“Nick, what do we do?” Sabrina asked. “We thought we were going to have the upper hand… How does he know…” 

“He must have had spies.” Nick thought fast. “Stay here,” he ordered Sabrina. “I’ll be right back.” 

“Nick!” 

He was gone. 

Sabrina’s heart raced. There was so much happening below her that she didn’t know where to look, what to do. She didn’t have a chance to make a decision before Nick was back, this time with Ambrose and Prudence. 

“What the Heaven, Scratch?” Ambrose demanded as he stumbled to keep from falling, surprised to have found himself teleported by Nick. 

“What are you doing, Nicholas?” Prudence demanded, wrenching her arm away from him. 

“Look.” 

Nick pointed to the scene below them. Stunned silence followed. Prudence’s eyes narrowed as they set target on her father. Her hand went to her hip to feel the helm of the spear. 

“He’s mine,” she stated. 

“Not yet,” Ambrose put a hand on her to stop her. “He’ll kill you for sure if you go into whatever the Heaven that is.” 

“We need to tell the others,” Nick determined. “Before they walk into that field unprepared. They think he’s still in the mill. We need to come from all sides to have the best chance. Sabrina, where’s Dorian?” 

“He’s supposed to be coming from the backside of the mill.” She hoped to Heaven he was. “I can go…” 

“Be careful,” Nick agreed, knowing there was no stopping her. “Check and come right back to this spot.” Sabrina nodded once and disappeared. “Ambrose, you need to tell Zelda. Have her split the group into thirds, one to come in from each side.” 

“My thoughts exactly.” 

Ambrose, too, disappeared. Nick turned to Prudence. 

“Prudence, I know you want the man dead…” 

“I have to kill him,” she stated. “I have to, Nick.” There was utter rage in her. She vibrated with it. 

“And you will,” he promised her. “But I need you to do what I know is going to feel like an impossible request of you.” She raised an eyebrow. “I need you to stay put.” 

“Stay put?” she countered, outraged. “I’m the one person that can kill that man and you want me to stay put?” 

“You have to,” Nick confirmed. “You have to wait until the Terrors and the Judas boys are distracted in combat, when Blackwood is less protected. Stay up here. Watch him. Don’t let him out of your sight. Wait for your opportunity, Prudence.” 

Prudence knew he was right. She had to stay put. She couldn’t swoop in and kill him like she wanted to. She had to wait until she had the right opening. She tightened her grip on the helm of the spear. 

“I’ll wait,” she promised. “And what are you going to do?” 

“I’m going to join the masses,” he said matter of factly. “I’m giving Sabrina another minute to get back here, and then I’m going in search of her. I’ll fight when its time.” 

Prudence studied him, true fear that she may never see the people she cared about alive again weighing on her heavily. 

“Mambo is my mother, Nicky.” Nick raised an eyebrow in surprise. “I outright asked her earlier, before we left the Academy. She admitted it. She wouldn’t bend to Blackwood’s will and didn’t approve of his plans for the Church of Night – these plans of his have been long in the works. He had his men drown her, but they didn’t succeed. She made it to shore a ways down the river, didn’t know who she was. She didn’t have a memory for years, but an old voodoo witch in the French Quarter helped restore her. When I stumbled into her shop with Ambrose all those months ago it was fate. She was looking for me. I found her.” 

“Prudence, that’s…” Nick was at a loss for words. He had been pretty certain Mambo was Prudence’s mother as well, but the confirmation of it, particularly now, caught him off guard. 

“I know,” Prudence sighed. “Heaven of a time to bring this up – for all of us.” 

“When this is over, you should get to know her,” Nick advised. “You deserve that.” 

“I can’t think about that now,” Prudence shook her head. “I only want to kill Blackwood.” 

Sabrina reappeared, interrupting them. 

“Dorian is in place,” she reported. “He had a legion of demons with him. I told him what was happening and he called upon more.” 

“Good,” Nick nodded. “We should get back to Zelda.” He held out his hand as Sabrina reached for him. Neither was certain which of them teleported them to Zelda’s side, but her relief at their appearance was apparent. 

“There you two are,” she breathed. “Nice of you to join us.” 

“Dorian is ready,” Sabrina reported. 

“So is Prudence,” Nick added. 

“Good,” Zelda approved. She looked around and then took a deep breath as though to steel herself. “We’re as ready as we can be. Shall we?” 

She didn’t wait for an answer. 

She raised a horn to her lips and blew. More horns sounded in the distance, signaling the other groups now stationed around Blackwood were ready. The ground still shook beneath their feet as Zelda stepped forward, ensuring that she was the first one in the clearing. 

“Ah, Zelda Spellman!” Blackwood’s voice boomed, magically magnified. “How I’ve waited for this moment!” 

“Likewise,” Zelda responded, her own voice booming. “I have dreamed of the day in which Faustus Blackwood falls.” 

Blackwood laughed a humorless laugh. 

“You think you can win?” he asked. “Why Zelda, I didn’t know you were a comedian.” 

“I assure you, Faustus Blackwood, that I am not a funny woman.”

With one long whistle from Zelda, the battle began. 

From all sides, the Spellman allies flooded into the space with whoops and cries. The Romanians charged forward with something akin to glee. Mambo’s friends hung back, their magic slower to release from their fingertips as it came from a different source than that of the Church of Hecate or the Romani. Dorian’s demons appeared, charging into battle with no reason to be concerned for own safety as Dorian hung back on the edge of the woods, watching like a spectator at a sporting event. The king didn’t get his hands dirty. Members of the coven scattered, going after the nearest Terror. 

The Terrors themselves attacked in a varied manner. Some were self-contained natural disasters, spinning up tornadoes or deadly thunderstorms. Others were violent and brute, throwing their bodies into full attack mode. Still others grasped ahold of their opponent’s minds, fought against them with their own inner demons, much, Sabrina thought, like Hell brought out the worst in someone. 

“Kill the Spellmans!” Blackwood’s voice boomed. “Anyone else is merely collateral damage!” 

A Terror came at Sabrina out of nowhere. She was quick to fire off a spell, fighting its fire with magical water of her own. It hissed as the water burned it’s scales like acid. She heard a vicious growl behind her and spun to find a creature that resembled a panther with vivid violet eyes streaking right for her. It had the mane and tail of a horse, the horn of a unicorn. She held out her hand to summon her power, but the Terror was knocked away. She looked for the source. 

“That’s that one out of the way,” Hilda declared. She destroyed the panther-like being with one more spell. “You okay, darling?” 

“I’m fine,” Sabrina said, amused even in the moment at Hilda’s niceties. But there was no time to rest. She spied another Terror descending upon a Romani member. The man was on his knees, clutching his head and begging for mercy. Her spell was fluid, power coursing through her. The Terror was blown away and the man freed from whatever was attacking him. “Are you okay?” She helped the man to his feet, recognized him as the man Nick had been laughing with earlier. 

“Fine, fine,” he dismissed, a glint of anger in his eyes. “Thank you, miss.” He eyed the Terror. “I’ll finish the blasted thing.” 

Sabrina took the brief moment of peace to look around. She couldn’t identify her family or Nick in the chaos. Her eyes fell on the ridgetop that held Prudence. An idea occurred to her. She teleported herself to Dorian’s side. 

“Sister!” he greeted, looking positively gleeful. “How fun is this?” 

“You’re an idiot,” she informed him. “Do you have a demon that can fly?” 

“You name it, I have a demon that can do it.” He looked smug. “I quite like being King.” Sabrina rolled her eyes. “Have you need for a flying demon, sister?” 

“Prudence does,” Sabrina stated. “She’s up on the ridge, waiting for her chance to swoop in on Blackwood. She needs every advantage she can get. It won’t be enough for her to simply teleport to him.” 

“I’ll send one now.” 

Sabrina trusted he would do it and turned back into the fray. 

When she looked back, she would realize it was minutes, not the hours it felt like, that her family, friends, and allies battled the Eldritch Terrors. The battle still young, she swooped in to help one of Mambo’s members trapped within a self-contained tornado, then turned, looking for her next battle. 

She was met face to face with a grotesque Terror that towered over her. 

“A Spellman…” it growled. “My master will be pleased.” 

“Your master is as good as dead,” she stated before firing off a spell. It ricocheted off of its armor-like exterior. Sabrina ducked to avoid the rebound. The terror laughed. “Okay then.” She lifted a hand to try another. A searing pain ripped through her head before she could. “Ah!” 

She hit her knees, hands on her head. She couldn’t fight it, couldn’t counter it, already so completely in its grips. She heard the Terror laughing manically in the distance, but she was taken back to a place deep in the recesses of her memories. 

Her father’s voice – Edward Spellman – was frantic. 

“I have to send her to my sisters! Now!” 

Her mother’s frantic voice joined in. 

“No! No! My baby!” 

“Now, Diana!” Edward ordered. “There isn’t time! She’ll die otherwise!” There were loud noises, desperate cries. And then Sabrina, in her infant form, was in a wicker basket in the mortuary foyer, looking up curiously as her aunts hovered over her. 

One after another, memories flooded her. They started off as happy memories, her as a toddler and then a young child, growing up in a land of magic where the fairytales her mortal friends read about were actually true, at least in a sense. She baked with Hilda, asked Zelda questions about any and everything. She played with Ambrose who indulged her with nothing better to do under house arrest. 

But then the memories started to shift. They became more recent, less happy. She saw the moments she had been challenged, manipulated. She relived Tommy’s death, her first breakup with Harvey. She met Nick for the first time, saw Harvey with her best friend for the first time. Nick lied to her for the first time, telling her Amalia was gone. He cried on her shoulder when Amalia really was dead. He betrayed her, broke her heart for the first time, went to Hell with Lucifer inside of her. 

Somehow, she found the courage to beg the terror to stop. 

It got worse. As the terror held her under its power, she was shown every awful moment, every decision she made that was selfish or wrong. She saw her family, her coven, fighting without her. She saw Nick, suffering in silence, hurting and silently crying out for the help she denied him. She saw her family dead, Nick in stone, skeletons of her friends, Greendale in ruins. She felt the pang of hearing Nick call her his ‘friend,’ felt the rip of hurt that occurred when she realized he was no longer in Greendale, that he had left without saying goodbye, the same hurt she had aggressively shoved down and covered with anger for all he had done wrong, however misplaced that anger was, because it was easier to be mad at him than it was to face that she still loved him and he was gone. 

She stole Harvey back. Made selfish choices. Hurt her friends. 

Selfish. 

Selfish. 

Selfish. 

“Please…” she begged. “Stop…” 

The Terror only laughed. Her head felt like it was splitting in half. She pulled at her hair, screwed shut her eyes, begged for mercy. 

She was shown how lonely she felt as half mortal, how horrible she was as Queen of Hell, the hours upon hours that Ambrose and then Nick had put into merging her. Still, she tried to call upon her strength, tried to find the will to fight. 

“Stop!” 

Lightning flew from her hands. The Terror stumbled backwards, momentarily freeing her from her own brain. She struggled to her feet. She felt weak. Her body felt heavy. Her breath came in rapid spurts. She couldn’t hold on much longer. The Terror roared. 

“You shall pay, Sabrina Spellman!” 

The pain was back, this time showing Nick being tortured in Hell, Roz in stone, Harvey upset, Ambrose angry at her, her decision to remain in halves, all the actions that happened after. She fell back to her knees and tried once more to find the courage to fight. 

Across the field, Prudence fell from the sky as silent as nighttime snow. She landed delicately on her feet behind Blackwood. The demon who dropped her cast a shadow over the battle below and then dove from the sky as it zeroed in on an unsuspecting Terror. She drew the spear from her hip. The zing of the metal leaving its carrier caused Blackwood to turn. 

“Hello Father,” she smirked. 

A moment of surprised filled his expression before it shifted back to a more neutral one. 

“Prudence,” he greeted. “I’d say it’s nice to see you, but that would be a lie.” 

“Fortunately for you, I haven’t the time for pleasantries,” she retorted. “I could have taken your life already, but I want to look you in the eye while breath leaves your body.” 

Blackwood chuckled. 

“Silly girl. I can’t die.” 

“You never were one for Dad jokes,” Prudence mused. “But that one is hilarious.” 

She showed no mercy. The spear sliced through the air. Blackwood didn’t have time to register the sharp blade against his neck before his head separated from his body. Prudence stood above him, spear posed, ready to swing again, not quite ready to believe he was dead. 

Around her, the Eldritch Terrors erupted with ear splitting bangs. Their beings burst not into liquid but powder, raining down upon the witches and warlocks like paint, coating them in an array of colors. The scene was suddenly bright and lively. Someone who happened upon it accidentally would have thought themselves fortunate to stumble upon a festival or art installation of some sort, unaware of the horrors the rainbow covered. 

“Prudence.” 

Ambrose approached from the side, his hands held where she could see them, uncertain of whether she would attack from a place of adrenaline. His lip bled freely. His clothing was torn and he walked with a bit of a limp. Coated in blue and green powder, he was otherwise whole. 

“Prudence,” he said again. “You did it.” He carefully put his hand on the helm of the spear. “It’s done.” He lowered the blade. “He’s gone.”

“He’s gone,” she echoed, stunned. She looked to Ambrose. “He’s really gone.” 

“He’s really gone,” Ambrose promised. “It’s over. For good.” 

“My sister.” She frantically looked around for Agatha. “Where is she?” 

“We’ll find her,” Ambrose answered. “Judith, too.” He took her free hand, observed her wild eyes. “We’ll find them. They’re here, somewhere.” 

“Prudence!” 

Agatha’s cry reached Prudence’s ears. 

“Agatha!” 

She spied her sister moving through the stunned crowd, her hair wild but her eyes no longer possessed. With a meaningful look to Ambrose that said they would talk later, she ran for her sister. The pair embraced, their tears falling freely. 

Ambrose realized he had never truly seen Prudence cry – or love – until that moment. 

Across the field, Sabrina struggled to her hands and knees. Red, pink, orange, and yellow powder coated her. She was weak, shaky. Her head was in excruciating pain. But she didn’t let that stop her. Unsteady, she rose to her feet and looked around. She found Prudence hugging Agatha. Ambrose was nearby, kneeling beside a young girl she believed was Judith. It was hard to tell through all the powder that hung in the air. She turned slowly, looking. Melvin was there, bleeding heavily as he tended to someone she didn’t recognize, but his wound wasn’t life-threatening. 

The Romani man she had saved sat beside a body and wept silent tears. 

Mambo stood over the body of one of her friends, saying a silent prayer of her religion. 

All around her, there were bodies, both dead and injured, all covered in the thick layer of the powder the Terrors left behind. Her chest tightened as she searched the crowd as best she could. She stumbled a few desperate steps, not sure which direction to go, eyes sharp even as her head throbbed and the dust burned at her eyes. 

She exhaled a sigh of relief. Zelda was there, striding through the masses, her sights set upon Blackwood’s head. Hilda, too, was nearby, tending to the wounded and seemingly well enough herself. She kept searching, her panic growing. 

She couldn’t find him. 

Body after body, both dead and not, none of them were Nick. 

Her heart pounded in her ears. The pain in her head was intolerable. Still, she kept stumbling, kept looking, skimming the faces of the dead, feeling first relief when it didn’t belong to Nick and then guilt for her thoughts. 

A figure in the distance rose to their hands and knees. Slowly, they began to stand. He was coated in gray powder, but she knew him all the same. She let out an audible cry of relief and forgot how weak she was, how badly her head hurt. She ran with all she had, not caring in the moment that she was tripping over the injured, jumping over the dead. 

“Nick!” 

He looked at her. Relief filled his own eyes. 

“Sabrina!” 

“Nick!” 

She collided with him, causing him to stumble back a couple of steps. Her arms went around his neck as she clung to him. He wrapped his own arms around her and held her tighter than she remembered him ever holding her. 

“Sabrina,” he breathed, a hand sliding up her back to bury itself in her hair to hold her to him.

“Are you okay?” Sabrina asked, pulling away enough to look at him. “Are you hurt?” 

“I’m okay,” he assured her. “What about you?” He searched her face, looking for any sign that she wasn’t. 

“I think so,” she nodded. The movement made her head hurt more, but she didn’t have time for that. It was just a headache. “You’re bleeding!” She pulled at Nick’s shirt, trying to see the source. “Nick…” 

“It’s just a cut,” he caught her hand. “It’s not even that deep.” 

“But… You’re bleeding…” 

“Sabrina.” He squeezed her hand, sensing she was growing frantic and not buying that she was okay. “It’s just a cut. I had to dive out of the way of a Terror and caught it on a sharp rock. It looks worse than it is, I promise.” 

He felt okay enough. He was exhausted and weary, slow to get to his feet, but he had held his own against the Terrors. He brushed a thumb over Sabrina’s cheek, trying to really see her through the powder. Sabrina looked up at him, trying to do the same. The gray powder made his features look like stone. 

Stone. 

Nick had died in the first version of events, before she went back in time and saved the world. The powder reminded her of that awful moment when she recognized him at the carnival, when she berated herself for not being there to save him as a tear rolled down her cheek. Seeing him now, the powder the same shade of the stone, reminded her of the awful things the Terror had shown her. 

“Nick…” 

A tear rolled down her cheek and cut a path through the powder. 

“Sabrina?” Nick questioned. 

“It was awful, Nick.” Her voice shook. “The Terror. It took over my mind. It showed me… Things…” She shook her head, trying to push away the memories. “It was awful…” 

“You’re okay,” Nick reassured her. His words didn’t reach her. He took both of her hands, his worry for her growing. “Sabrina,” he tried, “you’re okay. It’s over. We’re okay.”

She looked into Nick’s eyes. 

His concerned brown orbs surrounded by gray was the last things she saw before she collapsed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We had a little bit of everything here, didn't we? Sabrina, jealous. Sabrina and Nick having a moment (really, it was high time for something physical, wasn't it?) the battle, Prudence's vengeful moment. And then poor Sabrina, having to re-live it all and then see Nick in that gray powder that was so stone-like...
> 
> I have no idea what these Eldritch Terrors would be, so I 100% made it up based on very limited information. I thought it would be fun to add a pop of color to a color scheme that is generally so dark. 
> 
> This story is really three parts. First, Sabrina had to be merged. Then Blackwood, defeated. Now, in the final chapters, we heal. 
> 
> Thoughts? Feelings? Please share! I love your comments and kudos!


	22. Chapter Twenty-Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So much badass on display last update - both in the battle and in your comments. Thank you so much for reading it and loving it. It was a lot of fun to write that battle scene! Almost as much fun as it was to write this bedroom scene...

Sabrina blinked her eyes open to find herself tucked safely in her bed. For a moment, she thought it all might have been a dream. A nightmare, to be sure, but a dream all the same. But when she started to sit up, the dull ache in her head told her otherwise. She groaned and laid back down.

“Easy, cousin.”

Ambrose was perched in her window.

“Ambrose?” She lifted her head just enough to look at him.

“We’ve been waiting for you to come around,” he greeted. “Between genuine exhaustion, the stress your brain went through, and Hilda’s concoctions, you’ve been mostly out of it for three days now.”

“Three days?” Sabrina repeated. “You let me sleep for three days?”

“And you look like you could go right back to sleep now,” Ambrose confirmed. “That Terror did a number on you.”

“Where is everyone?” she wondered as she managed to push herself up to her elbows. “Are they okay?”

“Zelda is at the Academy. They’re back to classes. You know Zelda, no rest for the weary. Says it shows discipline or something. Hilda is puttering around in her garden, getting the last of her vegetables. She says it’s going to be heavy frost tonight, amazing really that she still has things growing this late in the season. I believe Cee is coming over for dinner tonight, which means we’re in for an even better treat than usual.

“Prudence is with Agatha,” he continued. “Hilda is keeping her in the infirmary at the Academy for now. She’s rather rattled, to put it nicely, but with time, Hilda thinks she should be okay. Judith and Judas, too, are recovering well enough.”

“What about Nick?” Sabrina asked with trepidation. “He was bleeding…”

“He’s fine,” Ambrose assured her. “He and I have been taking turns sitting with you and spending time with Judas. I imagine you would have rather woke up to him than me.”

“I don’t care who I woke up to, so long as you’re all okay,” Sabrina said with honesty. She finally managed to bring herself upright. “What happened after I collapsed?”

“Nicholas yelled for Hilda. Mambo got to you first, though. Thankfully you had told him about the Terror, so we knew what had happened. Mambo did some of her brand of witchcraft to stabilize you and Nicholas got you back here. Hilda came along shortly after to tend to you.”

“There were a lot of bodies,” Sabrina remembered.

“Losses were heavy,” Ambrose said somberly. “The Romani lost nearly a third of who they brought.” Sabrina gasped. “Not to dismiss their losses, but that’s their way – they love to fight. They’ve gone back to Romania to bury their dead in their own customs. Mambo’s friends had several losses as well. We lost three coven members, which seems minimal, but we’re also so small anyway that it was still a substantial blow.”

“And you’re okay?” Sabrina continued.

“I’m okay,” Ambrose nodded. “Bit bored, actually. No cousins no merge, no rogue priests to fight…” That earned a bit of a smile out of Sabrina. Ambrose chuckled. “Do you happen to be hungry? I’m starving, but Hilda will make me fend for myself. If you come downstairs though…”

“Are you trying to use me for food?” Sabrina asked, her mood lightening, her headache dulling.

“I am,” Ambrose confirmed with a serious nod. “I’d rather have a feast than the sandwich I’d have to make myself.”

“I suppose I owe you at least a good meal,” Sabrina mused.

She moved slowly, her muscles tight from disuse. She wanted a bath, but thought she might eat first, realizing she really was hungry, starving, actually. But first, she turned to Ambrose.

“Ambrose, I know I’ve been a handful,” she started. “Thank you for always being there for me. I literally wouldn’t have made it without you.”

“You would have made it,” Ambrose said with certainty. “You’re scrappy.”

“I’m not,” Sabrina shook her head. “I’m rash and reckless and don’t think things through… I’ve learned my lesson though. I will never act without thinking again.”

Ambrose reached for a hug. He chose not to say anything. Sabrina was Sabrina. She was a little down right now, humbled and substantially wiser. But she was still Sabrina. It wouldn’t be anytime soon, but at some point, she would make another rash decision and find herself in a bind. And he would be there to help her out of it. That was their way, always would be, even if the next bind didn’t come along for a hundred years.

“Let’s go eat,” he said.

“Prudence is okay?” she asked as they descended the stairs. “You said she was with Agatha, not that she was okay.”

“She’s wading through it all,” Ambrose said. It was the best explanation he had. “She killed Blackwood with one swift swing of the spear. Agatha has a long road to recovery. Prudence had to tell her about Dorcas and Agatha hasn’t taken it well.”

“I can only imagine,” Sabrina sighed. She felt an odd sort of kinship with Agatha. She hadn’t killed her own sister, but she had made mistakes that cost the people she loved their lives, even if she was able to go back and change the course of time. She could empathize with what Agatha was going through.

“There’s also the matter of Mambo being her mother.”

Sabrina stopped in her tracks.

“What?”

“Mambo is her mother,” Ambrose repeated. “When she resisted Blackwood’s plans for the Church of Night, he tried to kill her. He didn’t succeed, obviously, but he did enough damage that she forgot who she was and where she came from for a long time. A voodoo priestess helped her get her memory back. It took a long time. She was looking for Prudence when Prudence and I waltzed into her shop in New Orleans hunting down Blackwood.”

“No wonder she came when Prudence called,” Sabrina muttered. She shook her head. “Greendale is truly the kingdom of messed up parentage.”

“I think I may be the only one with two normal, functioning parents,” Ambrose mused as they entered the kitchen. “May have something to do with the fact that they live on another continent and I never see them.”

“Or they still haven’t forgiven you for attempting to blow up the Vatican,” Sabrina quipped.

“That was a rather nasty blemish on our relationship,” Ambrose shrugged. He went to the open back door. “Hilda! Sabrina is awake and hungry. What shall I feed her?”

“Sabrina’s awake?” Hilda’s voice floated into the house from the backyard. “I’m coming! I’ll just check her over, then I’ll make her a hearty meal…”

“Using me for your own gain,” Sabrina shook her head in pretend dismay.

“You owe me,” Ambrose said again. Sabrina smiled a bit, but it still didn’t reach her eyes.

“Love!” Hilda bustled through the door with her apron brimming with squash and small pumpkins. She unceremoniously dumped them on the counter, gourds rolling every direction, before she descended upon Sabrina. “How are you feeling? How’s your head? Let me have a look…”

For a quarter of an hour, Sabrina sat on a stool and allowed Hilda to fuss over her. When she was satisfied Sabrina was well on her way to recovery, at least physically, she set to work on an elaborate meal. The afternoon passed with first far more food than necessary for a late lunch and then a cup of tea. It was enough to distract Sabrina from her own troubles, even if she felt them brewing just below the surface. The sun was beginning to set when Hilda drifted away to oversee dinner preparations at the Academy, even while planning their own dinner which included Cee’s favorite dish. Ambrose, too, drifted off and Sabrina was certain he was off to check on Prudence. She still hadn’t gotten a clear answer out of him about where things stood between them, but it hadn’t been for lack of trying.

Alone once more, the battle began to come back to her. She closed her eyes and willed the memories away, tried to stave them off. But all she could see behind her eyelids was Nick covered in that gray powder and the way it reminded her of him turned to stone.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she teleported to the Academy.

She was quiet as she slipped through the shelves of books, hoping he was in the library. If he wasn’t, she would check the other common areas, but she didn’t trust herself to go to his room. It felt like a private space now, closed off to her. He had once jokingly told her that he didn’t allow girls in his room, that she was different, but she had heard what he didn’t say: he didn’t allow anyone into his private space. She was the exception. More than that though, the room held painful memories now. She didn’t think she could face them right then. It was too soon.

He was there, seated at a table next to Judas. He was showing the young warlock something in a book. Sabrina said nothing. She stood quietly in the shadows, observing, making sure he was okay. Several minutes passed before he looked her way, sensing someone’s presence. If he was surprised to see her, he didn’t show it.

“Study those few paragraphs, okay?” he directed Judas. “I’ll be right back.” He pushed his chair back, stood, and cautiously approached Sabrina. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she replied, her eyes once more looking over him.

“You’re awake,” he observed.

“As of a few hours ago,” she confirmed.

“How are you feeling?”

Sabrina shrugged.

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “My head is still spinning.” She tilted her head a bit as she considered him. “What about you? You were bleeding…”

“It was just a cut,” he said again. “Hilda got around to patching me up once the more severe cases were triaged.”

Sabrina sighed.

“And once again, I was nowhere to be found.”

Nick frowned.

“You were unconscious in your bedroom,” he reminded her. “You shouldn’t feel guilty about that.”

“But I do,” Sabrina said. “I wanted to help.”

“You had the idea to send a demon that could fly to Prudence,” Nick reminded her. “That advantage made Blackwood’s demise a lot easier to accomplish.”

“Still…”

“Sabrina,” Nick cut her off. “It’s not your responsibility to save us all, all the time.” He smiled just a bit, that half smile she loved so much. “You have already had a few turns, after all. I think it was time for someone else to take on the role of hero.”

Sabrina nodded, but didn’t feel convinced. She felt like she owed it to them all to protect them after everything she had put them through.

Judas let out a frustrated cry and smacked the table with his palm. Nick looked over his shoulder and blew out a long breath. He turned back to Sabrina with a weary look.

“I should get back to him. He’s having a hard time.” He looked back at Judas for a moment before bringing his eyes back to her. “He was an infant one day, fifteen years old the next. He has no idea how to act, how to behave. He’s never been taught. But he’s smart, has decent reading ability. Ambrose and I have spent time with him these last few days. He’s learning fast, but he doesn’t know how to process his emotions or be with groups of people. He doesn’t even know how to be alone.”

“Blackwood took his childhood,” Sabrina observed. “I imagine Judith is the same?”

“She’s a little more subdued, quiet. Unlike her brother, she wasn’t taught to read – not surprised by that, given how Blackwood viewed women. She’s been with Zelda and Prudence mostly. I think she remembers Zelda from the time Zelda hid her at the mortuary.”

“They’ll be okay,” Sabrina said with confidence. “They’re safe now, with people that care about them.”

Nick gave her a meaningful look.

“So are you.”

She looked back right back at him, solemn and serious.

“You are too, Nick. Safe and with people that care about you.”

Nick reached out a hand and caught hers. He held it loosely, his fingers barely linked with hers, a respectable amount of space still between them.

“We’re all going to be okay,” he dared to hope. “It just might take some time.”

Judas let out another sound, this one more like a growl. He tore a page from the book, tossed it aside in frustration, and went for another. Nick pursed his lips in a moment of annoyance. He was trying to be patient, but he had been with Judas for several hours now, charged by Zelda to not leave him alone. The boy couldn’t help what he had been through and Nick certainly understood trauma more than most, but he was looking forward to Ambrose relieving him in another hour or so.

“Third book he’s done that to today. I’ll be well-versed at restoring ancient text by the end of all this at any rate.” He released Sabrina’s hand and missed her touch immediately. “Are you okay to get yourself home?” He thought she looked a little pale, flushed.

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. He nodded.

“I’ll check on you later,” he promised. With one last look, he turned back to Judas. Sabrina watched him for just a few more moments before she pulled herself away to return to the mortuary where she intended to finally take the long bath she had been dreaming of.

She and Nick weren’t friends. They weren’t exes, either

But, she thought as she walked, they might finally be in a place where they could start to figure it out.

If he would just talk to her.

* * *

Sabrina bolted upright, breathing hard.

Her bedroom was dark, lit only by the half-moon’s dull glow. She breathed in and out, her breath rate slowing as her panic diminished.

“It was just a dream,” she told herself. Salem meowed a confirmation from where he stood at the end of her bed, disrupted from his own slumber. “It was just a dream.”

She laid back down with a big exhale. Salem meowed again and curled up next to her. She absentmindedly scratched his fur, willing the images in her dreams to disappear. Despite her desires, images of a dead Hilda, Zelda, and Ambrose floated before her vision.

She tossed her covers back and tiptoed out of her room. As quiet as a mouse, she opened the door to Hilda’s bedroom. Hilda’s form slept soundly, a soft puff of a snore issuing from her. Satisfied, Sabrina continued down the hallway. She repeated the motion at Zelda’s door, half expecting to see Mambo there as well. Zelda was alone, however, somehow dignified even in her sleep. Sabrina vaguely remembered the days not all that long ago when her aunties shared a bedroom. She never quite understood why – the mortuary certainly didn’t lack space – but when they decided to stop sharing rooms, Ambrose and her had sat in the hallway in wonder and watched Zelda unceremoniously move her things down the hall. Ambrose had even produced popcorn which made Sabrina giggle and Zelda reprimand him. Sabrina had defended him, reminding her aunts he was under house arrest and had very little entertainment in his life, earning herself a reprimand as well. The memory made her lips threaten to turn up into a smile.

She continued to Ambrose’s room. A gentle melody could be heard from inside and soft light filtered under the door. She tapped lightly, in case he was awake. She waited a few moments and tapped again. When there were no footsteps or calls to enter, she opened the door a few inches and peeked in. Ambrose was sprawled spread eagle and face down facing the wrong way in his bed, his mouth open and a thin trickle of drool leaking from the corner of his mouth as he slept, his cheek resting on an open book. He was still fully clothed. She couldn’t count the number of times she had found him like this after he’d fallen asleep mid-page. She closed the door and tiptoed back to her room.

Satisfied everyone was safe, she curled up under her blankets and cuddled Salem. It took a few minutes, but she drifted off to sleep.

The dreams returned.

This time, Nick was front and center, everything red and hazy and hot. She heard him crying out, begging for mercy. She ran through the haze, searching for him, calling out for him. She heard the sounds of torture, Nick’s voice booming over and over even as his cries of pain echoed around her that she wasn’t worth it, that he hated her. She tripped. Instead of crashing onto the hot stone floor below her, she landed in an empty fog-filled field that stretched endlessly in every direction. It was eerily quiet. She took a few steps forward, looking around, her senses heightened.

A Terror fell from the sky.

It didn’t hesitate to begin its attack. She fought back, battling blow for blow. But then it’s face transformed into hers. Nick appeared, shirtless and wearing that stupid ruffled collar. She cried out for his help. He shoved her roughly out of the way. She hit the ground hard, scampered backwards as she tried to get out of the way. Nick’s eyes flashed red as he fought and he began to shout at the Terror that looked like her. His words grew angry and hurtful.

“Nick!” she cried out. “Nick, it’s the Terror! It’s not me!”

He ignored her, continued his horrible tirade of “you weren’t worth it” and “I hate you.” He dodged a blow from the Terror. His eyes grew even more read. “You’re just like your father!” He raised his hand to deliver the death blow.

But the Terror version of her beat him to it.

“Nick!” she screamed in a way that left her throat raw.

He turned to stone and crumbled before her.

And then the Terror was gone and she was herself, standing over the pile of rocks that used to be Nick, screaming, begging him to come back. She frantically tried to put him back together again.

“Sabrina!”

“Nick!” she screamed. “Nick! Come back! Nick! I’m so sorry! Nick!”

“Sabrina, love, wake up!”

“Nick!” She was growing hoarse. “Nicholas!”

“Cousin! What on earth…”

For the second time that night, Sabrina bolted upright, her eyes wild. She didn’t register her aunts or Ambrose, all awoken by her screams as the nightmare overtook her.

“Nick!” she screamed. Her throat burned, but she kept screaming. “Nick!” Tear poured down her face. Hilda tried to sooth her. Sabrina’s arms flailed, trying to push her away, to get to Nick even if he wasn’t there. “Nick!” she was desperate. “Where is he? Nick! No…”

“Ambrose, get Nicholas,” Zelda demanded, assessing the situation, real worry in her features as she took in her frantic niece. Ambrose disappeared without a word.

“It’s okay, Sabrina,” Hilda tried, still working to soothe her even as Sabrina fought against her. “Ambrose has gone to fetch him.” She looked at Zelda with a worried expression of her own. “Her heart is racing.”

“Those damned Terrors,” Zelda assessed. “And everything else she’s been through…”

“It’s all catching up with her,” Hilda confirmed. “Poor lamb…”

Ambrose reappeared, Nick holding onto his arm to allow him to teleport within the Spellman boundaries. He was haphazardly dressed, his hair wild.

“Sabrina!”

His voice cut through Sabrina’s wild panic.

“Nick!” She reached for him. “Nick! Nick!”

He went to her.

“I’m here.” He sat down on the bed as he took her into his arms. Her arms went around him and she held on tight. “I’m here. It’s okay. Everything is okay.”

“I’m sorry, Nick,” she cried into his chest. He noted her raspy voice. “I’m sorry.”

“Shh,” he hushed, holding her tighter. “Everything is okay, Sabrina. I’ve got you.”

She sobbed into his chest. All he could do was hold her, one arm wrapped around her, his other hand buried in her hair, holding her to him. Her own arms clung to him. He felt helpless in the moment. All he knew was that Sabrina had woken up in a panic, screaming his name and inconsolable. He had barely paused to pull on a shirt with the sweatpants he graciously had on when Ambrose appeared at his door before he was at her side.

“Let’s leave them,” Zelda suggested. Hilda nodded her agreement, trusting Nick would take care of Sabrina. Ambrose closed the door behind them, leaving Nick and Sabrina alone.

Nick let Sabrina cry for several more minutes, patient and soothing. He only spoke again when her cries began to ebb.

“Talk to me,” he prompted softly. “What happened?”

“I had a nightmare,” she mumbled into his shoulder. “It was so real…”

“Tell me about it.”

“It was awful, Nick.”

“Most nightmares are,” he said patiently. He released her, causing her to sit upright. He abandoned all pretense and brushed her hair back. “Tell me what happened.”

Sabrina kept her eyes trained on her hands as she spoke.

“You were in Hell, being tortured. It was horrible. I could hear you crying out for help, begging for mercy, but I couldn’t find you.” Nick swallowed down his own painful pang of memories. “But then I heard you saying…” She trailed off.

“What did I say?” Nick asked. Sabrina looked afraid to answer. “Sabrina, it was just a dream.”

“But it wasn’t,” she whispered. “You were saying…” She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. “That I wasn’t worth it, that you hated me.”

“Sabrina…” Nick sighed, guilt wrenching at him.

“But then I was fighting a Terror,” she hurried on, wanting to save him the pain she saw trying to sneak into his features. “You appeared and I called out for you to help me. You pushed me out of the way and the Terror’s face became mine. You got so angry. Your eyes turned red and you started yelling those same awful things. You were going to kill the Terror me, but it struck first. You turned to stone and then exploded into a pile of rocks.”

She violently wiped at the tears still falling from her eyes.

“You were in stone, dead, before I went back in time,” she kept going. “It was so hard, Nick, to see you like that, to see everyone I love, dead. The Terror showed me you dead and you covered in that ash reminded me of that. Then I saw you dead again tonight…” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I had another nightmare earlier. It was similar, but it was Hilda, Zelda, and Ambrose that were dead that time, again because of me. I got out of bed and went to check on each of them. I fell back asleep and dreamed of you. I woke up and I couldn’t check on you…”

Nick said nothing. He moved so he was leaning against her headboard and brought her with him. She didn’t resist, too weary to think about much past being in his arms. Despite the deep chasm of hurt between them, it was comforting to be close to him.

“My father wasn’t a good man.”

She lifted her head off his shoulder.

“What?”

Nick looked uncomfortable yet resigned.

“My father was a drunk.”

Sabrina understood then. Nick was finally opening up to her. She tried to sit up with the intention of turning to face Nick, but he tightened his grip on her, keeping her close. She settled back into his embrace.

“I’m listening,” she said softly. She felt him nod. She sensed it was easier for him to talk this way, holding her but not looking at her. It was still intimate, still a connection, but it allowed him some space to share something he kept close to the vest without the pressure of face to face communication. She reminded herself that this was uncharted territory for Nick. He had struggled with vulnerability before he absorbed the Dark Lord and now she reasoned it must be next to impossible for him to let someone in.

“He wasn’t a good man,” Nick said again. “He was always drunk, high. He was abusive.” He paused. “He beat my mom.” Sabrina bit her lip to keep from saying anything. “You met some of the Romani. They’re not all like my dad. Most aren’t, in fact. But there are some that are just mean. There’s no other word for them. He was one of them. If he wasn’t hitting her, he was berating her. He never hit me, but only because my mother took his abuse so I wouldn’t have to. We only had peace when he would pass out or go off for one of his days long benders. The problem with those is that we knew he’d come back and there would be hell to pay.”

His arm tightened around her.

“My mom was a saint, Sabrina. She tried so hard to love him through it. I think she really thought she could save him, just by loving him. I’m told they were happy at one point, before he went off the rails. I have just a few good memories of him. But he went down a dark path when I was really young that he never came back from. My mom tried to be the perfect wife. She was the perfect mother, at least in my opinion.” He smiled a bit. Sabrina could tell from the way his voice changed. “She used to make this incredible plăcintă cu mere. It was supposed to be for dessert, but she would let me have it for breakfast sometimes, usually after a bad night with him.”

Sabrina didn’t know what plăcintă cu mere was, but she memorized the phrase.

“She tried to protect me from him, but it was at the expense of herself. She was a powerful witch, clever. That’s how I ended up with Amalia as a familiar. My mom wanted to make sure I had something large and cunning to watch over me. I think she always knew she would die by his hand.”

Sabrina gasped softly.

“He came home in a drunken rage one night,” Nick continued. “I was asleep upstairs. Him throwing pots and pans woke me up. I crept to the top of the stairs and saw her trying to defend herself with spells. He was ruthless, though, bent on doing harm. I was only eight, but I was old enough at that point to understand what was going on. I knew, too, that I had a lot of power, even if I didn’t know how to use it yet. For all of his faults, my dad, too, was a powerful warlock.” His fingers absentmindedly tangled through Sabrina’s hair. “My power is the only thing worth a damn that man ever gave me.”

Sabrina still forced herself to remain quiet, to listen. Nick needed that from her more than he needed her words of sympathy.

“I tried to help her with my own poor magic. She screamed at me to go upstairs, to stay out of the way. Amalia herded me back towards the stairs, but I saw it. He stopped throwing pots and attacked with magic. He killed her with one poorly done spell. He meant to subdue her, but he didn’t say it correctly and it killed her. Then, he turned to me. I remember he cried out ‘Boy!’ and stretched out his hand. Amalia grabbed me by my neck like she would a pup and ran off into the night with me. I never went back.” He held Sabrina still closer. “Until I left here.”

Sabrina finally lifted her head from his chest.

“Your father is still alive,” she realized.

“He is,” Nick confirmed. “He’s still a drunk. He’s skin and bone, lives in filth. The council acquitted him of my mom’s murder – said it was an accident. He was a man trying to control his wife in their eyes. Bullshit if I ever heard it.” Sabrina felt a surge of anger that the man was allowed to walk free. She also thought she understood why Nick was more progressive than most warlocks when it came to treating women as equals. He kept talking. “The house I grew up in is falling apart, but he’s still there. A good gust of wind or a heavy snowfall would collapse it entirely.” He finally met her eyes. He was there with her and yet a million miles away. “Once I was sober, all I could think about was how much like him I’d become. I was a mean drunk, a drug addict.” He looked on the verge of tears. “I said horrible things to the woman I love more than I love my own life.”

“Nick…”

“Don’t, Sabrina,” he shook his head. “Don’t tell me it was the Dark Lord or trauma or that I didn’t know what I was doing. All of that certainly affected me, but I’ve always been terrified that I would end up like him. My time in Hell brought that to the surface. I’ve always been afraid to fall in love. I saw what love did to my mother and I didn’t want to do that to myself or, worse, risk becoming him and harming someone else. But you, Sabrina… You changed the trajectory of my entire life. When I was sober again and my mind was clear…” He paused and shook his head. “It was more than I could bear at that point, to face what I’d done.”

“And I wouldn’t let you talk about it,” Sabrina said softly. “I wanted to fill your head with happy memories, move on.” She felt even worse as she thought about her telling Nick he was “good” when she went to him in his room after Ambrose go him clean. He had been anything but good. “I didn’t give you a chance to process any of it.”

“You didn’t,” Nick agreed, not cutting her any slack. He couldn’t if they were going to repair their relationship. “That’s why I let you go, Sabrina. You were working through your own stuff and I needed to figure myself out. I was terrified of becoming my dad. While you need the people you love to get through what you’re going through right now, I needed to be alone.”

“You saw him, didn’t you?” Sabrina asked. “When you were in Romania?”

“In a bar,” Nick admitted. “I didn’t go in to drink. I went in because I knew he would be there. The village is all witches and warlocks. They’re isolated in the mountains, don’t need to move around like most of us do. There’s only one bar and he’s a legend there. I walked in and the moment I saw him, I wanted to kill him.”

Sabrina felt Nick’s body tense under her at he remembered the moment.

“I could have, too. Easily. He was drunk and I’m a hell of a lot more powerful than I was as an eight-year-old, not to mention more experienced. I raised my hand to do it, but I thought of my mom and then I thought of you. I knew that wasn’t the way. It’s not what she would have wanted. It’s not what _you_ would have wanted.”

“I killed my father,” she reminded him. It wasn’t that she was pro murder all of sudden. It was that she understood the witching world a little more and had a lot less tolerance for those who hurt the people she loved.

“You had to,” he replied. “There was no other solution. But I realized that death would be the easy way out for him. It’s more of a sentence for him to have to live day after day with the knowledge of what he did.” Nick found Sabrina’s hand and tangled his fingers with hers. “I learned while I was in Romania that he went crazy the next morning. He woke up sober and found my mom’s body in the kitchen. He went off the rails and hasn’t been mentally sound since.” He squeezed Sabrina’s hand. “I think he really did love her, despite how he behaved. He just didn’t know how to show it.” Nick pursed his lips. “Like me.”

“Nick…”

“Sabrina, let me finish.”

His request was made in a tone that left no room for her to argue. She nodded and made herself listen instead of ramble off words of comfort that Nick didn’t want to hear.

“I’ve always had a part of me that likes alcohol, drugs. and sex a little too much. Since I was old enough to understand what all of that was, it’s been the way I avoid feeling – anything. After Hell, I took it too far. Everything hurt and I couldn’t cope. My love for you kept me going in Hell, but after, I felt so violated, so broken.” His fingers played with hers. “There’s a part of me that I think will always feel a little broken.”

Tears sprung to Sabrina’s eyes. She ached to take his hurt away, to remove the memories that wrecked him. All she could do was listen. She had no idea how much it was helping him to finally confess some of these secrets he carried to her.

“My mom died because the man she loved was a drunk. When I was sober again, I was terrified that I could be him, that I could hurt you like that. I was terrified that I had become him.”

“That’s why you were worried the Dark Lord had exploited something in you,” Sabrina understood. Nick nodded.

“I didn’t know who I was anymore. When I went to Hell with the Dark Lord inside me, I was already struggling with the knowledge that maybe I was more like my dad than I thought. I had lied to you and manipulated you. I took the Dark Lord into my body with no intention of ever coming back here.”

Sabrina cringed. She couldn’t imagine a life without Nick as a part of it. She knew in that moment that somehow, someday, they would be together again. At least, as long as Nick wanted the same thing.

“I want you to know, Sabrina, that waking up in your bed and seeing your beautiful face, hearing you say I was home? That’s one of the best moments of my life to date.” Tears rolled down Sabrina’s cheeks. She could only snuggle closer to Nick. A bit of relief filled her when Nick’s embrace tightened. “Some of the worst moments of my life happened both before and after that, but I’ve learned a lot about myself, who I am, what I want. I’m still atoning for what I did. I will be for a long time. But as wild as it sounds, I’m better now because of what I’ve been through.”

Sabrina understood what he was trying to tell her.

“This will make me better,” she said.

Nick had somehow found his way through a terrible childhood and utter torture at the hands of Hell and realized his past didn’t define him. He was trying to help her learn that lesson now.

“It will make you better if you let it,” Nick chanced. “I needed to be alone to figure myself out. You need your family, the people who care about you. But you’re pulling away, letting the things that happened pull you under. Don’t do that, Sabrina. Don’t let your guilt sink you.”

Sabrina sniffled.

“You were dead, Nick,” she said softly. “I let you down. I let everyone down.”

“You didn’t,” Nick assured her. “You saved my life, Sabrina. And I don’t just mean from Hell or the Dark Lord or Pagans or even drugs and alcohol. You taught me that I get to choose how I respond to things, that I’m not my father.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead because he simply had to. “You absolutely did not let me down.”

“All of this is so hard,” she confessed. “I want to fix everything.” She squeezed her eyes shut in a failed effort to stop the tears that seemed endless.

“Fix them right this time,” Nick advised. “No bandaids that will fall off the second they get wet.”

“I even feel guilty that you’re here right now,” she admitted. “Ambrose pulled you out of bed and we’re not even together, but here you are, comforting me because I had a bad dream.”

She felt silly now, that she couldn’t pull herself together after a nightmare.

“To be fair, I wasn’t asleep,” Nick said. “And I can assure you that there is nowhere else I’d rather be right now. I’ll always come when you need me.” A few more tears leaked down Sabrina’s cheek. His shirt was damp from her cries, but he couldn’t care less. He decided to take a chance. “Besides, at this point I wouldn’t say we’re not _not_ together.”

Sabrina nodded her agreement. They weren’t together, but whatever it was between them was still very much there. They had only scratched the surface of the well of issues between them, but for right now, it was enough to recognize that they were on the path to reunion.

“Think you’re ready to go back to sleep?” Nick asked. “You could some rest.”

“I think so,” she chanced. She was afraid to go back to sleep, afraid of what she might see in her dreams. But she could feel sleep pulling at her, her body begging for a chance to rest. She thought, maybe, she could sleep – if conditions were right. “Nick?”

“Hmm?”

“Will you stay?” She lifted her head from his chest. “Please?”

“I’ll stay,” he promised without hesitation. “I won’t leave you.”

He wouldn’t leave her tonight or again, if he could help it.

He snapped his fingers to turn off the lights, bathing them in the moon’s soft glow once more. Sabrina got comfortable again, her head on his chest, an arm around his torso. He kept both arms around her, held her close. He sensed she needed it as much as he did.

“Thank you for coming,” she whispered into the dark.

“I’ll always be here,” he assured her. “Rest, Sabrina. You’re safe.”

It didn’t take her long to fall into a restless sleep. He rested his forehead against her temple and whispered soft Latin words. She sighed in contentment as the words settled over her. He was nearly asleep himself, politely on top of the blankets, Sabrina under them, when her door creaked open.

“Oh,” Hilda whispered. “You’re still here, Nicholas.”

“She asked me to stay,” he replied, grateful it was Hilda and not Zelda that had caught him in Sabrina’s bed. He didn’t think Zelda would care, but he still viewed Hilda as the lesser of two evils. “I put a charm over her so she can sleep without the nightmares, but I promised her I wouldn’t leave her.”

Hilda considered the young warlock. She hadn’t trusted him from the beginning. He was too suave, too flashy with his magic and his knowledge. Add in his good looks and it was no wonder that Sabrina had fallen for him. But she had seen the shift in him, like it or not. He had truly fallen in love with her niece. He had gone through literal Hell for her and had spent weeks fighting for her when he returned to Greendale. She could no longer begrudge his place in Sabrina’s life. She thought she had accepted him a long time ago at the end of it all.

“I was coming to do the same,” she said, approving of Nick’s charm. She spied a throw tossed over Sabrina’s rocking chair. She fetched it. “Here, love. You’ll need this.”

“I’m okay,” Nick tried.

“Nonsense. It’s chilly out and her room has always been a bit drafty. This big house isn’t young, is it?” She unfolded the blanket and settled it over Nick’s legs. “There. That’ll do. Get some sleep yourself, Nicholas. I’ll have a big breakfast ready for the both of you in the morning.” She eyed him. “No skipping out this time.”

“Yes, Ms. Spellman,” he agreed, remembering that awkward moment fresh from Hell when he had dismissed her cooking. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

“We’re all down the hall if you need us,” she said. She paused in the doorway on her way out and look back at Nick and Sabrina. Her niece looked peaceful in her sleep. Nicholas looked to be his own sort of peaceful with the girl he loved in his arms, protecting her from nightmares and who knew what else she saw in her sleep. “Sleep well, dear.”

She closed the door, leaving Nick and Sabrina alone once more. Nick moved a bit to get a little more comfortable. Sabrina stirred, but didn’t wake.

“Everything is going to be okay,” he promised her sleeping form. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’ll make sure of it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nick's family background tends to be made positive and his parents died tragically, but I got the impression that there was something more to him when he wondered about the Dark Lord exploiting something within him which led me down a still tragic but not as happy childhood path. He had a great mom, but Dad? Not so much. 
> 
> He shared his past with Sabrina to both open up to her about where he was when he broke up with her and to help her see that her past doesn't have to define her. They're in a weird limbo right now, but Nick put it well. They're not NOT together... 
> 
> Thoughts? Feelings? Share 'em all with me in the comments! XOXO


	23. Chapter Twenty-Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was blown away by the love Nick's backstory got last update. I didn't expect that. Thank you for loving it as much as I did. You guys. Seriously. THE BEST. 
> 
> Time for a little more talking?

Nick was cautious as he approached the Spellman house. After breakfast the previous morning, he had told Sabrina goodbye and left her in the hands of Hilda. He had checked on her in the evening by writing a quick note on his hand. He had been settling in for the night when a ‘Goodnight, Nick’ appeared on his palm a few minutes later. He had written back ‘Sleep well, Sabrina,’ and gone to bed with a bit of a smile on his face. He had actually slept well. 

He didn’t bother knocking, but he was cautious as he opened the door. He knew Zelda was at the Academy and he had seen Ambrose with Prudence, the twins under their charge. As far as he knew, Sabrina was at home. He startled Hilda when he stepped into the kitchen. 

“Nicholas!” 

“Sorry, Ms. Spellman,” he greeted. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I was hoping to see Sabrina…” 

To his relief, Hilda smiled at him. 

“She’s in the backyard,” she said. “She’s been a bit quiet today, but I think she’s doing alright.” 

“Good,” Nick nodded. “Can I…” 

“Of course,” Hilda said kindly. “She’ll be happy to see you.” 

Nick certainly hoped so. He noticed the heaps of freshly baked cookies then, all different types, with still more batter to be baked. Hilda herself had a mixing bowl in hand and hadn’t stopped what she was doing, even at the interruption.

“You’ve been busy,” he observed. 

“Cee and I’s wedding is coming up,” Hilda chirped. “He wants a cookie table and I’m testing recipes. Might be overdoing it, but it’s my wedding. Help yourself, love. I’ll send some to the Academy with you as well.” 

“If you insist,” Nick said, with no intention of turning down her offer. He selected a perfectly round and rather large chocolate chip cookie with almonds. “Thank you, Ms. Spellman.” 

“Why don’t you call me Hilda, love?” she proposed. “I think we’ve been through enough to drop the formalities, don’t you?” 

“I guess,” Nick hedged. He didn’t think he would ever be able to call Hilda by her first name to her face, but he would try. He thought now might be a good time to offer up the apology he had held on the tip of his tongue the previous morning. He had never quite found the opening to make it, his attention on Sabrina, but it had haunted him for weeks now. “Hilda?” Her first name felt wrong coming out of his mouth, but he was going to try. 

“What is it, dear?” 

“I want to apologize to you. For how rude I was at breakfast the morning after…” He didn’t finish, but Hilda knew what he was referring to all the same. She softened even more towards him. 

“Oh, now, dear, that’s so far in the past I barely remember it.” She smiled kindly. “I believe I’ll be feeding you plenty in the future.” Nick returned her smile. He hoped he would be at the Spellman dinner table in the future, not necessarily because of Hilda’s cooking, but because he would be with Sabrina. “Go on out back, dear. She’s in the garden. There’s a fairy castle there from when she was younger. She’s been revisiting it today.” 

Nick nodded and slipped through the house. He found Sabrina where Hilda said she would be – in the corner of the yard, sitting on the ground, absorbed in the fairy castle, or more appropriately, Nick knew, her own thoughts. She didn’t hear him approach as she held a dainty fairy on her finger. Nick stood back and watched her as she smiled at the way the fairy fluttered away and back to its home. 

“Somehow, it doesn’t surprise me you played with fairies as a kid.” Nick settled on the ground next to her. “You’ve always reminded me of a fairy yourself.” 

“Really?” she asked. If she was surprised by his arrival, she didn’t show it. He had no way of knowing she had sensed him there all along, from the moment he stepped off the back porch and into the backyard. 

“I think it’s the hair,” Nick confirmed. “And the fact that, despite your personality, you’re not very big.” 

“I think that’s supposed to be a compliment?” 

“It is,” Nick assured her. Nick considered her, searching for an indicator of how she was doing. Her demeanor was subdued, quiet. “Hilda said you have been out here for a while.” 

“I haven’t come out here in years,” she told him. “Hilda and I built this together.” Her finger ran along the tree trunk turned castle. “Ambrose helped me make the feed to lure the fairies to move in. Zelda thought it was ridiculous, but I caught her looking at them a few times.” 

Nick thought she seemed sad. 

“How have you been today?” he asked carefully. 

“Okay enough,” she shrugged. “I’ve stayed close to home today. I helped Hilda bake for a while, but she’s a machine in the kitchen and there are only so many balls of cookie dough I can scoop before I’ve had all the baking I can take.” 

“I sampled on my way out here,” he confessed. Sabrina smiled. 

“Of course you did. She wouldn’t let you pass through the kitchen without taking a cookie. It’s kind of like Monopoly, except instead of collecting $200 when you pass go, you collect a same of whatever Hilda baked last when you pass through the Spellman kitchen.” She looked at him, observed the way he sat close but not too close, one knee bent, his elbow resting on it. He looked comfortable yet unsure. “Why are you here?” 

“I wanted to check on you,” he replied honestly. He hesitated. “Maybe spend some time with you. If that’s okay.” 

Sabrina’s face lit up, even as she worked to hide from him how much it meant to her that he wanted to be around her. He was grateful he had trusted the gut instinct that told him to seek out Sabrina. 

“I’d like that,” she agreed. They exchanged shy smiles. “What have you done today?” 

“I spent some more time with Judas this morning,” he answered. “We worked on some very elementary spells, things you and I grew up naturally learning in the progression of our childhood right alongside walking and talking. It’s like he can’t quite understand that he’s a warlock, or perhaps he understands the concept, but not that he has freedom to practice his magic now.”

“Blackwood took so much from them by aging them,” Sabrina said sadly. 

“He was a horrible excuse of a father,” Nick agreed. 

“You relate to Judas, don’t you?” Sabrina chanced, reading the situation for what it was. 

“In some ways,” Nick admitted. “I know what it’s like to have a terrible father.” 

“Why did you go to Romania when you left here?” she asked, still with a tentative slight to her tone. “Or did you go somewhere else first?” 

Nick knew when he decided to visit Sabrina that there would be no more skirting around their issues. They were in a place now where there was nothing to do but be honest with one another and face their past. 

“I went straight to Romania,” Nick confirmed. “I spent those first few days once the Pagans were gone deep in my head, trying to figure myself out. It hit me one night that I needed to get away from Greendale where so much of what was weighing on me happened if I wanted any chance at clearing my head and pulling myself back together. By morning, I had realized I needed to go back to where it all began, retrace my steps so to speak. I told Prudence where I was going on my way out and she insisted she join me. She stayed with me for a few weeks, but she was restless, took off on her own.” 

“What did you do there?” Sabrina asked. “Did you stay there the whole time you were gone?” 

“I stayed there,” he nodded. “I laid low for a week or so and then I started searching for my father. Like I said, it wasn’t hard to find him.” 

“Did you talk to him?” 

“I did.” Sabrina could tell by the way Nick tensed that it didn’t go well. “Not that first time, when I walked in set on killing him, but later. He didn’t recognize me at first.” Nick flicked at a vine that ran wild nearby. “I look like him. I told you he’s skin and bone, but the resemblance is there. It gave me a good idea of what my life would look like if I chose the same path he did.” 

“I don’t know him, but I’d guess you are nothing like him,” Sabrina reasoned. 

“We have our similarities,” Nick said. “But you’re right. I’m nothing like him.” He looked at her once more. “I’ve learned I get to choose if I make the same mistakes he did. I choose not to.” 

Sabrina felt a surge of pride. Nick had come so far from the shell of the warlock that came from Hell wounded, reckless, and dangerous. She didn’t comment but placed her hand on his knee as a show of silent support. 

“I got to know myself in Romania,” he shared. “I had some memories of my time there, but I was so young, and the good ones were outweighed by the bad ones. Going back there helped me sort of reconstruct the first years of my life, understand where I came from.” 

“You seemed friendly with the Romani that came,” Sabrina mentioned. 

“I got to know some of them pretty well,” Nick said. “The old man you saved from the Terror? His name is Danut. He’s my great uncle from my mom’s side. He told me a lot of stories about her, had a lot of insight into my family history. Because of him, I feel like I know her better.” 

“I knew there was something about him I liked,” Sabrina mused. Nick smiled at her attempt to tease him. “I’m glad he made it through the battle.” 

“Me too,” Nick agreed. He took a chance and covered her hand that rested on her knee with his. “Someday, I’d like to take you there, let you see where I come from, introduce you – properly – to Danut and a few others. I like to think of them as my mom’s coven, but really, they’re my dad’s to.” He paused for a moment. “I suppose, in some ways, they’re mine, too.” 

“I’d like that,” Sabrina said softly, hope brewing ever hotter that they were on their way to reconciliation. But before any travel to meet his parents’ coven could happen, they needed to continue to wade through the problems between them and determine if they could truly come out on the other side together. “Nick, there’s something I need to know…” 

“Anything,” he nodded. 

She took a deep breath, dreading the answer. 

“When did – he – ask you to get close to me?” 

Nick closed his eyes briefly. This was one of those things she wasn’t going to like the answer to. It was going to set them back a few steps. Still, honesty was his only option if they were going to come out of this together. 

“When I gave you the journal.” 

Sabrina’s breath hitched, recalling how he had presented her with her father’s journal, all cheeky and proud of himself for his ability to find a way around the rules. Looking back, she was certain that was the moment, Harvey or not, that she began to inch towards him. 

“Our entire relationship…” 

She was lost for words. She thought the Dark Lord’s ask had come later, that they had some semblance of a relationship before Satan interfered. She removed her hand from his knee. Nick made a fist to keep from chasing her hand with his. She needed some space right now and he had to give it to her. 

“He knew I was going to chase after you regardless,” Nick told her. “It didn’t stop me that you were with Harvey. I wanted you. I’ve already told you, that day you walked into the choir room, I fell hard. I proceeded to fall a little more each day.” He flexed his fingers so as not to reach for her. “The night of the play, after we went to Dorian’s and I dropped you off at home, I begged him to let me off the hook. I tried to convince him I had done my job, that you were on the Path of Night. He wouldn’t hear of it.” Nick scratched at the ground, remember how he had fallen to his knees at the desecrated church and pleaded with the Dark Lord to release him from his devotion. That was before, when he still believed the Dark Lord was the way forward, that the Path of Night was the only path. 

“You should have told me,” Sabrina said. “You should have told him no…” 

“There’s a lot I should have done,” Nick agreed. “But I didn’t. I can’t change that, Sabrina, but I can promise that everything I have ever felt for you has been real.” He did reach for her hand this time, no longer able to deny himself the feel of her skin against his. “It wouldn’t have hurt so much to let you go if my feelings weren’t real.” 

Sabrina was quiet. She gazed off in the distance. Nick held her hand and waited. His stomach churned. He wanted to pull her to him, but he knew that wasn’t the right play to make. She needed to make the next move. 

“I don’t know what to say,” she finally spoke. “Part of me understands. Maybe even more so now that I’ve had the experience of being Queen of Hell. I know what is was like when he was in charge. But there’s another part of me… You lied to me, Nick. For so long…” 

He could hear her conflict. He wished he could take it away. He couldn’t, though, and that was his punishment to bear. 

“I lied,” he acknowledged. “Many times over, both before and after Hell. I recognize that you don’t trust me…” 

“But I do,” Sabrina cut in. The conflict was ever more present. “That’s the thing, Nick. I trust you with my life. Quite literally. I think I’ve demonstrated that. But…” 

“But you don’t trust me with your heart,” Nick finished for her. His thumb grazed the back of her hand. “Honestly Sabrina? I don’t know that I trust you with mine either.” 

Sabrina looked at him, surprise evident in her features. 

“Nick, I have never…” 

“You’ve never lied to me,” Nick acknowledged. “But Sabrina,” his breath hitched, “I needed you. And you weren’t there.” 

He watched the devastating blow land on Sabrina’s already beaten and battered heart. She took her hand back and this time, she buried her face in them. The sob she had tried to keep in ripped at him as it tore through her. He brushed away his own tears, desperate to be strong for her. He let her cry, refrained from touching her, from comforting her, allowing her to feel whatever she was feeling. He waited until her sobs quieted and he himself felt calmer before he spoke again. 

“It’s really hard for me to admit that I need people,” he said. “I’ve spent most of my life alone. When I was with you, I learned what it’s like to have someone that loves you, someone that’s there for you. When I lost that, it was a gut punch…” 

“You chose to end our relationship,” Sabrina broke in, this time with anger. She was all over the place, her mind jumping around, her emotions crashing and rising over and over again. “You chose to go back to being alone.” 

“I was suffering, Sabrina,” Nick worked to keep his patience. “I not only had to cope with everything I went through while I was in Hell, I had to deal with what I did to you afterward. It was this tsunami of all the awful things I’ve ever done, coming for me fast and large. I was drowning…” 

“I told you I would give it all up,” Sabrina spoke up. “I told you I would walk away from Hell, and I meant that…” 

“You meant it,” Nick agreed. “But Sabrina, would you have actually walked away?” 

His question hung heavy in the air. Sabrina took a big breath before she looked at Nick. 

“No,” she nearly whispered. He had known all along that she was chasing something back then, had even said as much. She hadn’t realized it until much later, after her pile of mistakes was large and teetering dangerously. “There was too much at stake. And at the time, deep down, I wanted it.”

“As much pain as breaking up caused us, it was the right thing,” Nick said. Sabrina looked at him, confusing plain in her features. 

“If you needed me, why did you break up with me?” she wondered. “You said you needed to be alone to work through things. You can’t need me and need to be alone, Nick. Those aren’t the same thing.” 

“Before I was sober, I needed you.” Nick had spent hours upon hours thinking through this very paradox. “I was wrecked. There was so much I needed to process, and I didn’t know where to begin. I wanted to be the guy you wanted me to be. I wanted to be your boyfriend, hold your hand, go to that stupid carnival with you. I really did, Sabrina. You had saved my life, given me another chance despite my betrayal. I wanted to be that person for you. But I just couldn’t. I needed you to hold _my_ hand and help me figure out what I was feeling. I needed you to listen to me when I tried to tell you that the Dark Lord was still inside me, that something was wrong. You kept trying to bulldoze past what had happened, make it a thing that happened and was done.” 

“I tried…” 

“You did,” Nick nodded. “To a point. But you also tried to drag me downstairs to breakfast with your family, spend a day together doing who knew what, go to a carnival… That wasn’t what I needed, Sabrina.” 

Some of his own anger and hurt had surfaced now. He claimed the majority of what caused their demise, but she had her own share to own. 

“You wouldn’t talk to me, Nick,” Sabrina pushed back. “I asked you what I could do when I found you at the desecrated church and you told me ‘nothing.’ I asked you if you wanted to talk about it at the carnival and you said no. And then you left me on the side of the road to go off to Dorian’s.” 

“Because I felt helpless,” Nick tried to help her understand. “I recognize that it’s not fair of me to assume that you knew what I was dealing with, especially when I didn’t tell you, but I just… I needed you, Sabrina. It’s really really hard for me to need people, but I needed you. I didn’t need to have breakfast with your family or hang out with your mortal friends. I needed to stay in your room, shut out from the rest of the world, the only place I felt safe, with you.” 

A heaviness fell over them. Sabrina’s heart hurt. She could feel the anxiety pouring off of Nick. That only made things worse as she considered what he might do if things went too far. Her mind wandered down a dark path where Nick returned to drugs and alcohol to cope with their relationship. Her guilt weighed on her like a pile of stone, another stone being added with each passing minute. She took a deep breath and found her words. 

“You were the only thing in my world that made sense,” she began. “I’d spent months chasing after my father’s doctrine – Edward’s doctrine – only to learn my parentage was a lie. People I trusted lied to me, manipulated me.” Nick cringed. He understood he was lumped into that category alongside Lilith. “And yes, you did betray me, but I did forgive you for that, Nick. I do forgive you.” She stopped to take another breath. 

“When I got you back, I was just so _relieved_.” She wiped at her eyes. “I was desperate to get you back, Nick. You went to Hell for me. You took on a horrible fate to save the world. I knew you were being tortured. I didn’t know how badly, and I was foolish to believe that you were being protected at Lilith’s hand. I just wanted you back, here, with me.” 

Nick reached for her hand. She allowed him to take it. 

“You had suffered so much, for me, and I felt so guilty. When I finally had you back – really had you, not chained up in the dungeons – I could breathe again. That first day, I wanted you to have a good meal and then I wanted to spend the whole day with you. I didn’t care what we did. I just wanted to be with you. To assure myself that you were really here.” She wiped at her eyes again. “And then Lilith showed up and ruined it all.” 

She looked at Nick. He waited, listening intently, hanging on to her every word. 

“I understand now that it was awful for you, to hear that I was queen.” 

“It felt like a betrayal,” Nick admitted. “I went to Hell for you, to keep you from a title you didn’t want. And you took it anyway.” 

“It was to save you,” Sabrina said in desperate manner. “Nick, I swear…” 

“I know.” Nick squeezed her hand to calm the rising panic he heard in her voice. “I do know that, Sabrina. I knew it anyway, but you confirmed it under truth serum, remember?” 

“I’m so sorry,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry.” 

Nick raised their linked hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of Sabrina’s.

“I forgive you.” 

Sabrina understood. She had forgiven him for betraying her for the Dark Lord. He had forgiven her for taking the crown. 

“I just wanted you, Nick,” she said. “Everything else felt so out of control, but I had you back and that was all that mattered to me. Even if I didn’t act like it.” 

“I did a pretty good job of pushing you away,” Nick said after a beat. “When you did ask, I wouldn’t talk. I certainly didn’t volunteer any information.” Sabrina shook her head. 

“Don’t do that, Nick. Don’t try to take responsibility to lessen my guilt.” 

He sighed. She had read him correctly, caught him in the act of trying to backtrack enough to alleviate some of her pain. 

“I guess we’re at an impasse then,” he said. “We both want to claim responsibility for those days after Hell. We both want to take away the other’s pain. We either have to stay here, like this, or we have to figure out a way forward.” 

“Forward,” Sabrina said without hesitation. “I want to go forward.” 

“I do too,” Nick nodded. “We can’t change what happened, but we acknowledge it – which I think we have – and,” he shrugged a shoulder, “release it. Not forget it, actually, but let it go. No more holding those days against each other – or against ourselves.” 

Sabrina considered him for a few moments. And then she nodded. Nick watched her close her eyes and a moment later, two dandelions appeared in her hand. She held one out to Nick. He took it curiously. 

“When I was little and I was upset about something, Hilda would give me a dandelion. She would tell me to close my eyes, think about what I was upset about, and then blow on the dandelion. The seeds would carry away my troubles. I know it was silly – child’s play – but the symbolism always worked.” 

Nick smiled a bit. He held his dandelion up. 

“Close your eyes, Sabrina.” She did so and took a deep breath. She heard him do the same next to her. 

“On the count of three…,” she said. “One… Two.. Three…” 

Together, they huffed out big breathes and opened their eyes as their dandelions scattered. As silly as it was, they both felt lighter. Sabrina exhaled a relieved sigh. Nick confirmed everything was okay with a nod of his head, their days after Hell when she wasn’t there and Nick wasn’t himself not forgotten but released, no longer an obstacle before them. Sabrina didn’t say anything further. She simply rested her head on his shoulder. He kept her hand in his, rested his temple against hers. 

They sat like that for a while, neither sure where their relationship stood, both certain they were in it, whatever it was, to see it through. 

“Nick?” 

“Hmm?” 

“I’m here. If you need me.” 

He turned his head and pressed a faint kiss to her hair. 

“While I was in Romania, I learned that I couldn’t allow you to be the center of my world anymore.” Sabrina lifted her head and looked at him curiously. “I had made my life revolve around you and forgot myself. I can’t rely on you to make me happy. I have to be happy with myself.”

He squeezed her hand. 

“I realized you can be my moon, but not my sun.” Sabrina looked confused. “We – as in earth – revolve around the sun, right?” She nodded, understanding. “But the moon revolves around the earth. I’ve got to be my own sun, but you, Sabrina Spellman, are my moon.” 

Again, Sabrina understood. Nick had learned to prioritize himself. He had in the past, perhaps even been selfish. But when she came along, he set himself aside and devoted himself not to the Dark Lord, not really, but to her. Now, after everything he had been through, he had found himself again. The guilt came out of nowhere, as it tended to do. 

“I’m sorry you spent so much of these last several weeks focused on me,” she said, thinking of all the time Nick had spent helping her become one again. “You shouldn’t have…” 

“None of that,” Nick cut her off. “You needed me. And I still took care of myself, didn’t I? I went for runs, kept my head about me, took time when I needed it. I came back from Hell a different Warlock. And I’m not the same warlock I was when I left Greendale. But I’m starting to think, maybe, I’m a better version.” He played with a blade of grass with his free hand. “I don’t hate this version of me at any rate.” 

Sabrina knew there was no use in trying to make him see that he had never been the terrible person he thought he was, not really. His self-acceptance wasn’t her battle, no matter how much she wanted it to be. She was fighting her own battle with that and now understood all too well that it wasn’t something Ambrose or Nick could help her fix. She had to find that within herself, just like Nick had to. 

“I’ve always liked any version of you,” she chanced. He smiled, a real genuine smile. 

“The same goes for me,” he told her. “Quite literally.” 

“You didn’t like my queen half,” Sabrina reminded him. 

“I didn’t like parts of her,” Nick corrected. “But that half held your power, your strength. I’ve always loved that about you, Sabrina, that you’re powerful and independent and strong. But I also love that you’re loyal and kind and compassionate. That comes from your mortal half. When all of those good things come together? You’re a force and I somehow got lucky enough to be a part of your life.” 

Tears filled Sabrina’s eyes. 

“I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to understand how you can be so good to me,” she admitted, repeating her words from days earlier. “Not after everything you’ve gone through because of me.” 

“You’re you,” Nick said. It was that simple for him. He squeezed her hand again. “Sabrina, I want us to get to a place where we’re together again, a real couple, strong and stable…” 

“I want that too,” Sabrina interjected. “I want to get to a place where – and I know how this might sound, but I swear I’m not trying to skip over the hard stuff – we can go on dates and hold hands and just – be together. Be as normal of a couple as a witch and a warlock can be.” 

It was on the table now, the idea of being a couple again, of reconciling. It had never actually been off the table, but they had both voiced their desires now, put words to feelings. 

“That’s what I want too,” he assured her. “We’ve still got plenty to wade through. But I also need to tell you, now, before this gets too far, that if we do this, if we find ourselves back together, you’re it for me, Sabrina. I recognize we’re teenagers and that we’ve got centuries ahead of us, but I’ve had an awful lot of time to think and you’re it for me. I’ve always known that, but I need you to know it, too.” 

Sabrina wanted to kiss him. She wanted to tell him how much she loved him. But she controlled herself and reached out to brush a curl from his forehead. It felt good to touch him like that again, an easy, intimate sort of way. 

“I’m all in, Nick,” she assured him. “Both right now, as we try to figure out how to move forward, and a hundred years from now. Three hundred. Five. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that I don’t like being without you.” 

“Same,” he agreed. He decided they had had enough hard conversations for the evening. He wanted to make good on why he showed up in the first place and spend some time with her, just being together, rebuilding their trust, their intimacy. “Show me these fairies of yours?” 

Just like that, Sabrina brightened. 

“Some of them are temperamental,” she warned as she sat up. 

“I think I can handle it,” Nick teased. She smiled at him and he smiled back. 

“Think you might want to stay for dinner?” she proposed. 

“I mean, if Hilda is cooking…” 

Sabrina laughed then. Really and truly laughed. It was music to Nick’s ears after so many weeks of a sad, worried, anxious-filled Sabrina. 

She set her attention on luring a fairy out, Nick content to watch her, no real interest in the fairies aside from watching her interact with them. She managed to convince a fairy with wild pink hair and a purple dress to step onto her finger and then she was off, telling Nick what she knew about the fairies that lived in their garden and how she had played with them over the years, visited with them from time to time even now, how Salem liked to chase them. 

Nick sat back and listened. He was starting to think things might actually work out for them. He was certainly starting to hope. 

For the first time in a long time, hoping didn’t seem so risky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At first, I had planned to have them sit down and just hash it all out. But then I started thinking and realized just how much they would have to discuss and thought it made more sense for them to have these moments - backyards and fairies and such - while they work towards one another. The connection is there, but they need to restore their trust and intimacy, too. 
> 
> But like, Nick wants her forever and to take her home and introduce her to his Romanian coven. Swoon. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this one! It'll give me something to read while it rains all.week.long. Rain and quarantine. Send help. XOXO


	24. Chapter Twenty-Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're all big fans of Hilda being kind to Nick it seems. And of fairies. Thank you so much for the love last chapter. Maybe you'll like this one?

Nick approached Zelda Spellman’s office with trepidation. He had been summoned and for once, he wasn’t sure why, nor did he have a good guess. He thought he might prefer having a clear reason for her call rather than walking into her office blind. He raised his fist and knocked.

“Nicholas,” came her voice. “Come in.”

Nick pushed open the door. Zelda sat behind her desk looking every part of the directrix she was. Still, he wasn’t intimidated by her. He had lived through far worse than Zelda Spellman.

“You summoned me.”

He didn’t beat around the bush. With Hilda, there were always pleasantries exchanged, small talk made, generally an offer of a snack or a full-blown meal. With Zelda, there wasn’t time for that. Nick knew he leaned more towards Zelda’s way of doing things personally, but he thought both Sabrina and experience had softened him enough that he could read the room and determine if he needed to be a little more patient and personable. Zelda didn’t possess that ability.

“I did. Sit down.”

Nick took a seat, noting her chairs were marginally more comfortable than Blackwood’s had been at any rate, even if her office still had a certain formality to it that lacked warmth.

“I imagine you’ve been summoned to this off many times over the years.”

Not for the first time, Nick wondered if Zelda could read minds like Prudence.

“A few times,” Nick confirmed. “Blackwood reprimanded me a time or two, made more than a few asks of me. I usually refused.”

“He did complain that you had more of a moral compass than most of your counterparts,” Zelda recalled as she sized up the warlock. “Despite how much trouble you seemed to get into.”

“I’ve always had a limit on what I would do.” He had certainly pushed that limit, but he had never allowed Blackwood to persuade him into things like harrowing classmates and joining his Judas gang. “Granted, there was a temporary time period in which I had no limits.”

He couldn’t deny his past. He had done the Dark Lord’s bidding and then wrecked himself and his relationship with drugs, alcohol, and sex. But when he was himself, when he was whole, he had learned he had a good grasp on right and wrong, even by warlock standards.

“You went through a lot, Nicholas,” Zelda acknowledged. “Your momentary lapse in judgment is understandable.”

“I suppose that’s one way to look at it,” Nick mused. Once, he would have squirmed uncomfortably at the mention of his past deeds. Now, he owned his past. It was a part of him. He couldn’t run from it and no longer wanted to. “But I have a feeling my past isn’t why you called me to your office.”

Zelda fought the urge to smirk. She had always liked Nicholas, well before he became involved with Sabrina. He was talented, intelligent, and powerful, to be sure, but he was also steadfast. That wasn’t a quality many warlocks had. Ambrose was the only other she could think of in recent memory that had such an ability to weather a storm. And, of course, her brother. She had a respect for the young man seated across from her that she didn’t have for many.

“It most certainly is not,” she confirmed. “I have a few things I’d like to discuss with you.” Nick waited. She continued, again appreciating his no nonsense approach. “First, I’ve noticed that you have yet to attend a class since returning from your overseas adventure.”

“With all due respect, I’ve been a bit busy, Directrix Spellman.”

“True,” Zelda nodded. “But I believe it would stand to reason that you wouldn’t have been in class regardless. You had drifted into a more independent study role before Blackwood lost his mind.”

“I’m more advanced than most,” Nick owned his intelligence. “I was learning little from the professors.”

“Most of whom are now dead,” Zelda stated plainly. “What are your academic plans, Mr. Scratch?”

Nick raised an eyebrow. This wasn’t what he expected when he was called to Zelda’s office. This was reminiscent of the enrollment interview with the guidance counselor during his short stint as a Baxter High student when he had fabricated stories about college and being undecided about his career path.

“I don’t really know,” he admitted. “I thought about mortal college, but a few weeks of high school was enough to convince me that four years of pretending to be mortal would be four too many.” Zelda snorted in amusement. “Our kind don’t have a college or university. We simply – study.”

“I’m well-versed in the high education components of our kind, Mr. Scratch,” Zelda said in an effort to remind him who was in charge. “I will admit that you are beyond anything I could teach you. Your talents in some areas outstrip those of many much older, much wiser warlocks.”

Nick waited. There was an ask coming, but he had no idea what it was.

“It’s a waste of time and breath to demand you be in classes. However, now that you are well…” She paused and looked at him critically. “You are well, aren’t you, Mr. Scratch? My eyes haven’t deceived me?”

“I’m well,” Nick assured her. He didn’t elaborate. Zelda didn’t expect him to. He appreciated that about her. There was really only one Spellman whose opinion mattered, even if he had developed a friendship with Ambrose and at least a kinship with Hilda.

“Good. That means you will understand my request for you to contribute your intelligence to this coven.”

“In what way?” Nick asked suspiciously. Zelda pretended to be nonchalant, but Nick wasn’t falling for it. He knew she had a plan and he wasn’t about to fall into it blindly.

“Prudence serves as a prefect of sorts,” she said. “Ambrose is my librarian.” She looked at him over her glasses. “You’re quite good with Judas.”

“Judas is a special case.”

“Hmm,” Zelda hummed. “He’s benefitting from your knowledge. And I daresay some of the other coven members would benefit as well.”

“What, exactly, are you asking of me?” Nick asked, tired of her beating around the bush. He thought she did it just because she could.

“I’d like you to take on the role of instructing some of our younger members in subjects you’re adept at. Binding and conjuring, of course, perhaps demonology, history, and mythology as well.”

“You want me to teach,” Nick clarified.

“I do, Mr. Scratch.” She sat back in her chair, satisfied with her ask. “I think the role would suit you well.”

Nick didn’t reply right away. He had never really considered what he would do with his life outside of the Academy, too wrapped up before Sabrina in having a good time, then blindsided by the act of falling in love. He preferred not to think of everything that came after that.

“Can I think about it?” he requested.

“For a day or so,” Zelda agreed. “I do hope you’ll agree, however. This coven needs your talents.”

Nick felt that same wave of guilt that he had confessed to Sabrina of not being as strong of a member of the coven as they needed him to be during the threat of the Pagans. He didn’t think Zelda meant to dig at a wound, but it still stung just a bit.

“I’ll think about it,” he said again. He sat forward in his chair, ready to escape the office. “Is that all?”

“Not quite.”

Nick sat back with a sigh.

“I want to talk about Sabrina.”

Nick’s thoughts flew through a catalog of reasons Zelda could want to speak to him about Sabrina, some as simple as wanting to know his intentions towards her niece, others as drastic and dramatic as something awful had happened. But, he reminded himself, he had talked to Sabrina the night before, a quick exchange of ‘how are yous’ and ‘goodnights.’ She was okay.

“What about her?” he chanced.

“How is she doing?”

Nick considered the question, not quite sure how to answer. Zelda seemed to sense his hesitation.

“Come now, Nicholas. I’m worried about her. You’ve spent a lot of time with her lately. Do I need to stage an intervention or is my niece pulling herself together?”

“She’s better than she was,” Nick ventured. “She’s processing a lot. She and I have had some tough conversations. We’re due to have more tough conversations. But it’s been good for her, to have some time, to have her family around her. To have some time to heal.”

“To have you around her,” Zelda added knowingly. “Do you think you could convince her to resume her studies? She seems to listen to you, at least as much as Sabrina ever listens to someone.”

Nick recognized the request as the monumental moment it was. Zelda Spellman had just deferred to him when it came to Sabrina. The recognition from her that he had a place in Sabrina’s life, even if he had no idea what that place was at the moment, meant everything to him.

“I think being forced into school is the last things Sabrina needs right now,” he said. “If she wants to go back to school, that’s her choice. But frankly, Directrix Spellman, what are you going to teach Sabrina here? She can’t just resume normal curriculum. She’s experienced far too much.”

Zelda considered Nick once more.

“I suppose you’re right.” He could tell it pained her to admit it. “I’ll give her some time to gather herself then. But since we’re on the topic, tell me, Mr. Scratch, where do things stand between the pair of you? Because frankly, I can’t figure it out. Are you together or not?”

“We’re figuring things out.”

It was all Nick was going to offer. Zelda was the very last person he was going to discuss his relationship with.

“Her birthday is tomorrow.”

“I’m aware.”

Nick was hyper aware. He was struggling with how to approach it. He wanted to celebrate it. He wanted to make it special for her. The Spellman porch had been transformed by pumpkins and corn stalks and other mortal Halloween decorations, surely for Sabrina’s benefit. He wanted to add to that, somehow, show her she was loved and cared for after what had been a hard year. But he wasn’t sure of his place, how to go about it. What would be too much? What would be too little? He just didn’t know. He had a gift for her, but he had thought himself into circles over whether he should hold onto it or give it to her. He had less than twenty-four to figure it out.

“Just making sure,” Zelda stated.

Nick sat forward in his chair.

“Am I free to go?”

“You are,” she confirmed. “I’d like an answer regarding my proposition for you to take on a teaching role by tomorrow.”

“The day after,” Nick bargained.

“Forty-eight hours then,” Zelda agreed. Nick nodded his agreement and stood. He was nearly out of the office when Zelda spoke again. “Nicholas?” He stopped and looked back at her. “I’m glad you’re back – in Greendale and to yourself.”

“It’s been a long year,” he replied, purposefully vague.

“Indeed, Mr. Scratch,” Zelda said. “Indeed.”

Nick wandered back to his room, no real plan in mind for what he would do with the rest of his afternoon. Zelda had a point in the sense that he didn’t have much of an idea as to what he was going to do with himself now that Sabrina was merged and Blackwood gone. He knew he couldn’t keep aimlessly filling his days the way he had the last couple of weeks. He could admit that he was bored, and boredom had never ended well for him. He needed something to do, something to make his brain work. He supposed he could study what he wanted, continue to dive into conjuring and binding. He could write up his findings. He had been writing down some of his thoughts and experiences in passing. He had time now. He could really focus on it, document things. There was certainly value in that.

Could he teach though?

He enjoyed teaching Judas. It was rewarding to see the young warlock learn a bit more each day. But could he do that with a classroom of young witches and warlocks? He was barely older than some of them. He had even been in class with a few. Would they even take him seriously?

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost didn’t notice the pastry box perched neatly on the table just inside his door. A deep green bow was tied around it, the same emerald shade as his bedding. There was a note. He plucked it from where it was wedged under the bow.

_They probably aren’t any good. It’s the thought that counts?_

Nick smiled. She hadn’t signed it, but he would recognize Sabrina’s elegant handwriting anywhere. He pulled the ribbon to unravel the bow and opened the lid. He chuckled

Plăcintă cu mere.

The Romanian equivalent of apple pie.

The squares weren’t nearly as neatly stacked and layered as his mother’s. The filling leaked out of some while the cake tops and bottoms were mismatched and crooked on others. Some were nearly white with powdered sugar while others seemed to have missed the sifted confection entirely.

It was easily the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for him.

He brushed away a tear that threatened to fall, almost embarrassed that something as simple as a baked good could make him emotional. But as Sabrina had written, it was the thought that mattered.

He had to see her.

He only took the time needed to cast a quick spell and remove two of the cakes – of course there were napkins included – before he was hurrying back through the Academy. She was tucked away in a far corner of the library, absentmindedly flipping through a book. He smiled as he watched her for a moment. She truly was beautiful.

“Since when do you bake?”

Sabrina startled at his words.

“Nick!”

He stepped out of the shadows of the bookshelves and placed one of the cakes in front of her. He joined her at the table, choosing the chair closest to her.

“I thought maybe we could enjoy the plăcintă cu mere together.”

Sabrina beamed. She had been anxious, waiting for his reaction, fearing she had maybe crossed a line or worse, triggered some stream of bad childhood memories, all things she thought of after she left the box just inside his door. She had spent the last hour trying to distract herself from one terrible “what if” after another. It seemed he had taken the gesture as she hoped he would, however.

“How did you find me?” she wondered. “I purposefully tucked away in a corner of this place where I thought no one would find me.”

“I can go…” Nick offered, suddenly concerned he had invaded her space.

“No!” Sabrina said a bit too quickly. “No,” she repeated in a normal tone. “By ‘no one’ I meant my aunts. They mean well, but they’re hovering.” She smiled a bit. “I recognize it’s hypocritical of me to say as I was just crying because they didn’t seem to have time for me, but it turns out I do like a little non-aunt time. You, however, have a pass to intrude on my library corner anytime.”

“They’re just looking out for you.” He felt braver as he considered her, the cakes in front of them. This was familiar. This was them, sitting together in a library, talking about anything and everything the way they had before things had literally gone to Hell. “And to answer your question, I did a quick locator spell.” He indicated the cake. “This means a lot to me, Sabrina.”

She could only identify what she felt swell within her as joy. Joy that he was happy, that she had done something that meant something to him, giving him the attention he deserved and, she thought, craved. She was now painfully aware that Nick hadn’t had people to love him, support him. He had spent nearly a decade on his own before he met her, and she too hadn’t been there when he needed her the most. She was determined he would not know what it was like to be alone again.

“I don’t know if they’re any good,” she chanced. “I’m certain they won’t taste like your mom’s. Hilda had to look up what they were when I asked her. She supervised, but I did all the work, so if they’re terrible, don’t hold it against her.”

“I’m certain this will be the best plăcintă cu mere I have ever had.”

It could taste like rubber and he wouldn’t care. Sabrina had made it. For him.

“You’re just saying that…”

“I’m not,” Nick assured her. To prove his point, he picked up his square and bit into it. He was pleasantly surprised. The orange was perhaps a bit too strong and the cake maybe baked a bit too long, but she had pulled it off. “It’s actually really good.” Sabrina eyed him suspiciously. “It is,” he insisted. “Taste it.”

Sabrina picked up her own cake and bit into it. Her eyes widened in surprise. Nick was right. It wasn’t bad.

“This is because Hilda was directing,” she said once she finished chewing. “I had to zest an orange. I didn’t even know what that meant.”

Nick laughed and took another bite. Sabrina just looked at him, smiling.

“What?” he asked. Sabrina shrugged.

“You’re happy,” she observed. “It’s really nice to see.”

“I’m in a better place,” Nick agreed. He looked at her cautiously. “How about you?”

Sabrina nodded.

“Me too.” She turned in her seat so she could better face Nick. “Things feel a little more stable now.” She bit her lip. There had been something on her mind she wanted to talk to Nick about and now felt like the right time. Or she at least felt brave enough to bring it up. “Do you have a minute to talk?”

“For you?” he countered. “Always.”

She knew he meant it. He had declared that she couldn’t be the sun he revolved around, but she knew he would drop everything for her all the same, just as she would for him.

“That day I came to the Academy with Caliban…” Nick tensed. He had been sober then. He had no excuse except for hurt feelings for the reaction he had and the things he had said.

“Sabrina, I’m sorry,” he rushed ahead. “I was jealous and hurting…”

“Nick.” She silenced him by placing a hand over his. “Let me?”

He nodded and fell quiet.

“You’re not the one who needs to apologize in that scenario.” He disagreed, but he let her continue. “I was wrong to throw what you’d been through back at you like that. I was mad at you for breaking up with me, ending our relationship. I was hurting. I was worried about Roz, aware that the Pagans were a threat and that Hell was unstable. I said things before I thought about them, and I wish I could take them back. To call what you went through dramatic, to call you a narcissist… That was wrong, Nick, and I am so so sorry.”

Nick took his time forming a response.

“I shouldn’t have accused you of being with Caliban,” he said. “I knew he wanted you though and seeing you with him… My mind went there.” He avoided her eyes. “I’ve always been insecure about us, Sabrina. You are this powerful witch, this bright light, this good and right part of my life. I’ve never felt like I deserved you. I haven’t had a lot of good in my life, Sabrina, so of course I expected to lose you to Harvey or Caliban.”

It was Sabrina who took her time forming a response this time. She had to. If she spoke right away she would break into tears as she took on some of his pain as her own.

“I don’t know how to make you feel secure, Nick,” she confessed when she was ready to speak. “When I started dating you, I started dating _you._ You were never a placeholder. You made it seem like I put you back on my shelf of options when Caliban showed up, but I didn’t do that. I wasn’t a good girlfriend in a lot of ways, but I only ever wanted you, Nick. I don’t know what else I can do to help you believe that I choose you.”

Nick twined his fingers with hers.

“It’s not your job to make me feel secure,” he answered, confirming her thoughts from the day before about his self-acceptance struggles. “My insecurities are on me. Because you’re right. You may have…” he hesitated, aware that he was about to hurt her feelings, “dropped the ball in some areas...” She cringed and looked away. He reached out and gently grasped her chin to turn her eyes back to his. “But you loved me. At the end of the day, there was never a competition with Harvey or Caliban. You were with me. I know that now.”

“I love you,” Sabrina corrected tentatively. “Not past tense, Nick.”

The weight on his chest shifted aside a little more. It seemed to move a bit every time they were together now.

“I love you, too, Sabrina. Always have.” His thumb brushed over her cheek. “Always will.” She leaned into his touch. When his hand fell away, it was too soon for her.

“Please forgive me, Nick. You were struggling with so much and I said something so awful to you. I’m so sorry.”

“I forgive you, Sabrina.”

He did. Her words had stung, but they had also shaken something loose in him. That confrontation had been the catalyst for him beginning to turn things around for himself. He watched her eyes close and a tear roll down her cheek. He wiped it away.

“Don’t do that,” he said softly. “Yes, what you said that day hurt. But I saw hurt in you, too. I saw anger in you. Anger that, frankly, I had been waiting to erupt out of you. I’d put you through a lot and you had been pushing it down, not acknowledging it. What I really wanted was to chase after you, pull you into my arms, beg forgiveness, and ask you to please take me back.” He sighed. “I wanted to be the one that helped you save Roz. I would have been, if things had gone differently.”

Sabrina didn’t think. She was tired of the space between them, tired of keeping her distance. She needed more than his hand holding hers or even his hand on her cheek. She stood and moved so she could settle herself in his lap. She saw Nick’s surprise, but his arms went around her as hers went around his neck. He leaned into her embrace. She held him, her hand raking through his curls. He hadn’t realized how badly he needed this until he was in her arms.

They stayed like that for a long time, finding comfort in the other.

Until they were interrupted.

“As though the canoodling in the library isn’t bad enough, the pair of you have the audacity to bring food in here as well.”

Nick was slow to pull away from Sabrina. They both looked at Ambrose. Neither looked apologetic.

“Since when did you start following rules?” Sabrina wondered.

“I made these rules,” Ambrose declared. “No PDA and no food.”

“You made those rules on the spot and you are the exception to them,” Nick called him out. He smirked. “I hear things are progressing with you and Prudence.”

“I’ll keep my personal life personal, thank you.” Ambrose tried to look intimidating.

Sabrina giggled. Nick smiled at the sound. Nothing about Ambrose’s attempt at being the strict librarian intimidated them.

“Don’t get cake on the books,” Ambrose informed them. “I mean it.”

He disappeared again. Sabrina rolled her eyes and turned back to Nick who chuckled.

“My birthday is tomorrow,” she ventured, pulling his attention back to her.

“It is.”

She looked hopeful but reserved.

“Will you come over? For my birthday dinner? It’s going to be small, just my aunts and Ambrose and probably Prudence. Maybe the twins. And Mambo. Cee. But I’d like you there.”

“You call that small?” he wondered with a little tease.

“My friends won’t be there,” she reminded him and, in that moment,, Nick felt bad.

“I’m sorry…”

“No,” she shook her head, “my problems with them aren’t your fault.” She was still in his lap. Her hand ran through his hair. They both wondered where their relationship stood, but neither voiced the question. “Will you come?” she asked again. He heard the faint hint of doubt that he would deny her.

“Of course I’ll be there.” He smiled at her. “I’d never miss a chance to celebrate you.”

Sabrina felt warm all over.

“The plăcintă cu mere were okay?”

“Perfect,” he assured her. “Thank you, Sabrina. Really.”

“I wanted to do something special for you,” she shared. “I wasn’t there for you when you needed me, but I’m here now.” She took a turn avoiding his eyes. “If you want me to be.”

“I want nothing more,” he assured her, warmed by her words. “It was nice, coming back to a box of pastries.”

Sabrina decided now was as good of a time as any to make a confession to go along with her apology.

“Your room is a hard place for me to be,” she admitted. “I wanted to leave the box on your bed, but when I opened the door, I could only take a couple of steps inside. The memory of our breakup overwhelmed me.”

Nick considered her. It surprised him that Sabrina struggled with his room. Their breakup wasn’t his favorite memory, to be sure, but he was starting to see letting her go had done a lot more damage to Sabrina than he thought. He was sure there was more behind it, but he would save that question for another day. That wasn’t what she needed right now.

“We’ll fix that,” he assured her. “To borrow your words, we’ll replace that memory with better ones.” He brushed his fingers along her cheek. “At your own pace.”

She nodded.

“Lilith appeared to summon me to Hell after you left,” she told him. “She told me ‘queens don’t cry.’ I wasn’t allowed to grieve.”

“Lilith won’t hurt you anymore,” Nick reminded her. He held back from promising he wouldn’t either. He had learned he couldn’t fully promise he wouldn’t hurt her again, even if he had no intentions of ever being the one that made her cry again. Couples fought. He and Sabrina were both passionate people. There would be arguments in the future. But he wouldn’t hurt her like he had in the past. He surely wouldn’t break her heart again.

“Or you,” Sabrina reminded him. It was also a reminder that they still needed to talk about his time in Hell. She begrudgingly pulled herself out his lap and settled back across from him. She broke off a piece of the cake and popped it into her mouth.

“What are you reading?” He reached for the book she had open. It was a book of Greek mythology.

“I’m trying to learn more about Hecate,” she admitted. “I have some odd feelings about religion right now.”

“Same,” Nick agreed. “Hecate isn’t Satan, at least.” He bit into his own cake. Who or what he worshipped was another problem for another day. “Speaking of learning… Zelda asked me to take on a teaching role.”

“Really?” Sabrina replied. “Are you going to take it?”

Nick shrugged.

“Maybe. I’ve never really thought about what I want to do past the Academy. It’s almost odd to have that option now.”

“You would be good at it,” Sabrina offered. “You’re so intelligent, Nick. That’s a gift, just as much as your conjuring and binding abilities are.”

“I’m considering it,” Nick admitted. “I have a couple of days to give Zelda an answer.” He finished off his piece of cake and watched as Sabrina continued to pick her way through hers. “She asked me to convince you to return to school.”

Sabrina gave him a look.

“And?”

“And I told her school shouldn’t be what you’re focused on right now, that you will come back to studying if and when you’re ready, and that it should be independent study, at least here, because you’re beyond anything anyone remaining at this Academy could teach you. It’s your decision as to what you do about school.”

Of course he had taken her side. He always did, always supported her blindly. It was one of the many things she loved about him. She knew she could confess her recent thoughts on education to Nick.

“I think I’m going to withdraw from Baxter High.” Nick looked appropriately surprised. “I’ve missed so much school for one that I’d never catch up at this point. But I also feel like I just don’t belong there anymore.”

“Do you feel like that because you’re not in a good place with your friends?” Nick chanced. “Or do you truly feel out of place?”

“I truly feel out of place,” Sabrina said with certainty. “I noticed in when we were questioning Judas. I stood with you, Ambrose, and Prudence while Roz, Harvey, Theo, and Robin stood together. That wasn’t intentional. It had nothing to do with the issues between us. It just felt right to stand with you all. Like I had really and truly chosen my path. On my own, this time.”

“I think that’s a decision only you can make,” Nick offered. “If it’s what feels right for you, that’s the right decision.”

“It’s not that I’m denying my mortal half…”

“Sabrina.” Nick’s hand covered hers. “You don’t have to explain. Not to me.”

She gave him a grateful smile.

“I should probably get home,” she said after a beat. “Hilda is in a tizzy about her wedding next weekend and I want to be helpful.”

“Why don’t I walk you home?” Nick proposed. Sabrina tried not to look so hopeful.

“I’d like that.”

He gathered the couple of books she had pulled from the shelf. He had noticed in those mortal movies she liked that the guy always carried the girl’s books. He would do the same.

They still needed to talk about his time in Hell and the days after, particularly that scene in the woods. But something had shifted between them. The ground no longer felt unstable. She caught his hand in hers and allowed him to lead her through the library. She didn’t let go of his hand as they meandered towards the mortuary.

He thought he might have another one of those cakes while he wrapped her birthday present once he got back to the Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Nabrina had themselves quite the moment, but my personal favorite part was Nick and Zelda. She's developed a certain respect for him that she doesn't have for others and he's not remotely intimidated by her. I mean, he's dealt with the Dark Lord. What's Zelda Spellman? 
> 
> Sabrina telling Nick off in Part 3 just - didn't do it for me. Like I get it. Girl power. But that was not the time. This version of her definitely realized it. 
> 
> More talks to come as we draw to the last few updates, but first, Sabrina has to turn 17... 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this one! XOXO


	25. Chapter Twenty-Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shall we celebrate Sabrina's birthday?

Sabrina considered her appearance.

She supposed she could pass as seventeen. She had a youthful appearance, thanks to both the magic in her veins and her mother’s genes. But she felt so much older. She didn’t know how old, exactly, just – older. Different. But after the year she had, it was no wonder she felt older than her now seventeen years.

It was with that thought that she decided to go downstairs.

She smelled her usual birthday pancakes before she arrived in the kitchen. Someone, Hilda most likely, had hung a ‘Happy Birthday’ banner and balloons were tied to her usual chair. A bouquet of flowers sat next to her awaiting plate, right next to the syrup.

“There she is!” Hilda sung out. “Happy birthday, love!”

“Thank you, Hilda,” Sabrina smiled.

“Another year older, hopefully a bit wiser,” Ambrose chirped from his usual seat at the end of the table. Sabrina shot him a look that made him chuckle into his coffee.

“Happy returns, Sabrina,” Zelda said, eyes on the morning paper. “May this year be less eventful than this last one.”

“We should toast to that,” Ambrose proposed, raising is coffee in the air.

“Ha ha,” Sabrina said dryly. She settled in her chair as Hilda slid several pancakes onto her plate. She heard Ambrose mumble something about ‘finally able to eat’ but chose to ignore him. “This smells amazing, Hilda. The flowers are beautiful as well.”

“I can take credit for the pancakes and Ambrose helped with the decorations…”

“Had no choice, given that I was violently awoken by Zelda squawking that Hilda needed my assistance because ‘insert deity here’ forbid she risk breaking a nail by doing it herself.” Ambrose muttered.

“Hush, Ambrose,” Zelda shot him a look over her newspaper. “And the deity is ‘Hecate.’” Ambrose rolled his eyes. Sabrina held back a laugh.

“But the flowers?” Hilda’s eyes twinkled as she continued, ignoring Zelda and Ambrose’s bickering entirely. “Can’t say any of us are responsible for those.”

“Who are they from, then?” Sabrina wondered. She took in the flowers. They were all white, looked like trumpeted parachutes. She had never seen them before, but they were beautiful. “What kind of flowers are these, Hilda?”

“Those would be moon flowers,” Hilda answered as she added a hearty serving of bacon to each of their plates, starting with Sabrina.

Sabrina’s lips turned upward.

Moon flowers.

Nick.

“Ah, she’s put two and two together,” Zelda observed, somehow seeing Sabrina’s reaction through her newspaper.

“I suppose ‘moon flower’ must be something between you and Nicholas?” Ambrose guessed.

“Something like that.”

Sabrina ran her fingertips over the gentle flowers. They were perfect. Thoughtful. She adored them, made a mental note to ask Hilda how to preserve them. She wanted to keep at least a few blooms.

Breakfast proceeded without incident. Sabrina was finally starting to feel more like herself and the others saw it as well. When a second helping was finished by Sabrina and Ambrose, Zelda glanced at the clock.

“I suppose you aren’t planning to attend the mortal school today, then?” she asked Sabrina.

Sabrina decided now was as good of a time as any to share her conclusion on Baxter High with her aunts and Ambrose.

“Actually, aunties, I’d like to withdraw from Baxter High.”

All eyes looked at her.

“Would that be because of your trouble with your friends?” Hilda asked gently after a few beats of silence.

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. “It’s just…” She looked at Ambrose. “Don’t you dare say ‘told you so.’” Ambrose raised an eyebrow.

“Sounds like I’m about to be right about something,” he mused. Sabrina rolled her eyes. “Please, cousin, continue. I enjoy being correct.”

Sabrina ignored him.

“I’m different,” she told her aunts. “I’ve always been different, but it’s so apparent now. When I think about what matters to me, it’s no longer getting the full experience of my mortal half. It’s my family.” She hesitated. “Nick.” It felt good to put his name out there like that. “My coven, my friends. I could care less about biology class or school dances. After everything I’ve been through, it just doesn’t feel like what’s right for me anymore.”

Her aunts continued to look at her.

“You put up such a fight to finish mortal school,” Hilda reminded her. “You care about your friends…”

“You made it quite clear that you were going to live a normal mortal life come actual Hell or high water,” Zelda added. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

“I’m sure,” she nodded.

Zelda wasn’t convinced.

“I know you. I’m going to make a suggestion and I’d like you to hear it out.” Sabrina raised her eyebrows to indicate she was listening. “Why don’t I call the school and request a leave of absence for you? For the remainder of the semester? You can study independently and if you still feel the same when the new semester starts at the turn of the year, we’ll withdraw you.”

“I’m pretty confident…”

“Sabrina, I think Zelda is right,” Hilda broke in gently. “There’s only six or so weeks left in the semester anyway. Why not take the leave of absence and have some time to decide?”

“Fine,” Sabrina agreed, despite feeling sure of her decision. “No more rash decisions, right?”

“Wiser indeed,” Ambrose quipped. Sabrina picked up a scrap piece of bacon and threw it at Ambrose. He caught it and popped it in his mouth. “Still has a bit of a temper though.”

Sabrina opened her mouth to retort.

“Ambrose, I think it’s time you and I headed to the academy,” Zelda said, cutting their petty argument off before it could begin. Secretly, she was glad to hear them bickering again. It signaled a return to normalcy after so many months of upheaval. “Hilda, I’ll be home a bit early tonight to help prepare for Sabrina’s birthday dinner.”

“Since when did you become domestic?” Ambrose wondered in a veiled attempt to bring up the birthday decorations again. Zelda pinched his ear between her fingers and pulled him to his feet as he protested.

“To the Academy,” she said again, and then they were gone.

“Nice to have the house in a bit of an uproar,” Hilda said to herself. “Sabrina, your flowers are lovely.”

“They are,” she agreed. “Would you show me how to dry them? I’d like to save a few.”

“Of course,” Hilda agreed. “We’ll give them a few days in the vase first, then I’ll show you how to preserve them.” She smiled at Sabrina. “Things are going okay between you and Nicholas.”

It wasn’t a question, but an observation.

“We’re getting there,” she nodded. She fingered the flowers again. “We’ve had some hard conversations and I think there are more to have, but we’ve established that being friends isn’t an option, but neither is not being in one another’s lives.”

“What the pair of you have is special,” Hilda said. “I see it now.”

“You didn’t see it before?” Sabrina wondered.

“I had my doubts about Nicholas,” Hilda confessed. “I dated warlocks like him when I was younger, flashy with their magic and smooth with their words. I didn’t want to see you get hurt.”

“And I did,” Sabrina quipped.

“Well, yes,” Hilda admitted, having not fully thought her words through. “But there’s something between the pair of you that’s unbreakable. It’s rare, a connection like that. I think, even if years upon years passed, you two would still find your way back together.”

Sabrina’s smile was soft.

“Is it like that for you and Cee?” she wondered.

“I’d like to think so,” Hilda said with the blush of a schoolgirl. “But every love story is different.” She stood and began to clear the table. Sabrina decided to help her.

“Yours at least doesn’t have Satan and torture and addiction,” she muttered almost jealous of her aunt.

“No, but it does have an incubus and I did nearly kill him,” Hilda quipped. Sabrina laughed as she carried dishes across the kitchen.

As far as she was concerned, seventeen was really looking up so far. She hoped the first hours were a good omen for how the rest of the year would go. She could certainly use a better year.

They all could.

* * *

Sabrina tried not to look too eager as she opened the front door to meet Nick.

“Happy birthday, Sabrina,” he greeted with the crooked smile she loved so much. Prudence stood behind him with her usual bored look. They had Judith and Judas with them as well. The twins stood side by side, still dressed similarly, but little hints of their separate personalities were starting to show. Judith had a flower behind her ear while Judas had styled his wild hair, or at least tried to. It was progress at any rate.

“Thank you, Nick,” Sabrina replied with a smile that was meant just for him. Prudence rolled her eyes, but there was a note of teasing behind it.

“Happy birthday, Sabrina,” she said in her abrupt manner. “Judith? Judas? Come. We’ll leave these two alone.”

She brushed past Sabrina. The twins followed, each giving Sabrina a polite, proper bow of their heads. Sabrina watched them go before turning back to Nick.

“Are we sure we want Prudence influencing Judith?” she asked him.

“I’m more concerned about your aunt’s influence over her,” Nick quipped. Sabrina laughed a bit. She reached out and tentatively caught Nick’s fingers with hers, not quite holding his hand, but wanting the contact.

“Thank you for my flowers,” she told him. “They’re beautiful.”

“You thanked me this morning, remember?” he asked with a sparkle in his own eyes. It had set him up for a good day to see her note appear on his hand while he finished breakfast at the Academy that morning.

“It warranted being said again.” She tilted her head. “Come inside. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”

She led Nick inside. They joined the rest of the Spellmans, minus Hilda who was in the kitchen, along with Cee, Mambo, the twins, and Prudence, in the sitting room where Hilda had laid out appetizers and an assortment of drinks. Sabrina poured herself a cup of cider and looked around, content. Nearly everyone she cared about was in the room and it was truly all she wanted for her birthday. Still, there was a hint of sadness in her chest. It was the first birthday she could remember in which her friends weren’t there to celebrate.

“You’re in your head,” Nick observed. He ladled his own cider into one of Hilda’s dainty glass cups used just for parties and special occasions. In another time, Nick would have gone straight for the bourbon. It was still odd to her, to see him abstaining from alcohol. She had associated bourbon and absinth with him since the beginning of their relationship, and not in a negative way, at least not until recently. “Everything okay?”

“Just thinking,” she answered. She smiled at him. “I’m glad you’re here.”

He looked into her eyes for a moment, seeing both caution and something he dared label as affection shining back at him. He had to smile back at her.

“Me too.”

They traded another smile.

There was a knock on the door.

“You should go answer that,” Nick told her.

“But everyone is here,” Sabrina said, even as she made her way out of the room. “Maybe it’s a trick-or-treater? We don’t get many this far out, but sometimes….”

She mentally slapped herself on the wrist for not peeking through the window before she pulled open the door, thinking of how with her life, literally anyone or anything could be on the other side of it. She gasped at the sight that greeted her. Standing on the doorstep was Theo, Robin, and, most surprising of all, Roz.

“Hi…”

“Happy birthday, Sabrina!” Theo reached for a hug with no hesitation. Sabrina hugged him back hard, surprise in her every feature.

“Happy birthday,” Robin added shyly as Theo pulled away. Sabrina hugged him too, a brief friendly hug. Then, she turned to Roz. She looked as nervous as Sabrina felt.

“Happy birthday, Brina,” she hedged.

“Roz…” Tears filled Sabrina’s eyes. She blinked them away. “You’re here…” She desperately wanted to hug her oldest friend, but she refrained, understanding that Roz’s appearance was a peace offering and that things needed to go slow between them. Still, she reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’m glad.”

“Nick asked us to come,” she shared. Sabrina’s mouth formed a silent ‘oh!’ as she took in the effort Nick had gone through for her.

“Hilda said it was okay,” Robin added. “We made sure we weren’t going to be intruding.”

“The more the merrier as far as Hilda is concerned,” Sabrina replied, surprise still settling around her at both their appearance and at Nick’s involvement in it. “Come in…” She stood aside to let them in. Roz gave her a small smile as she stepped inside. Robin followed her. Theo paused at the door.

“He extended an invitation to Harvey, too,” Theo revealed. “Harvey didn’t feel it was appropriate, but I thought you should know Nick asked.”

Sabrina was thunderstruck.

Back in the living room, she searched for Nick. He was across the room with Ambrose, but he met her eyes. Her lips turned into a grateful smile as she pushed down the urge to shed a few tears, fought against her instincts to run to him and wrap him in her arms. He smiled back and winked at her. She took a step forward to go to him when Hilda called them to dinner. She waited for Nick to reach her before joining the mass heading to the dining room.

“You’re something else, Scratch.”

“They should be here,” he replied. “I um, invited Harvey…”

“I know,” Sabrina nodded. “Thank you, Nick.”

“Anything for you,” he replied. She recalled the last time he had said that, dripping wet in her bathtub and gasping for breath, but victorious in his mission. She brushed her fingers against his hand in an affectionate manner. He smiled at her to show he understood. He pulled her chair out at the head of the table, the place of honor. She thanked him as she sat own, noted that he left the seats on either side of her for her aunts and settled a few seats down, between Judas and Theo. She liked that, Nick and Theo having a chance to talk. She thought they might even be able to be friends down the road.

The evening stretched before her, the mood casual but celebratory, so different from last year’s debacle of a birthday. Slowly, once cake and ice cream had been served followed by tea and coffee, her guests began to filter out. The mortals left first, followed by Prudence who escorted the twins back. Sabrina didn’t miss how she had spent a lot of her evening talking to Mambo as the pair continued to get to know one another or how she and Ambrose exchanged a private moment in a corner.

She was searching for a way to get Nick to herself when he came to her.

“It’s getting late. I should head back to the Academy.”

“I’ll walk you out,” Sabrina offered as he’d hoped she would. They didn’t speak again until they were on the porch.

“Better birthday than last year?” he asked.

“Much,” Sabrina confirmed. “I can’t believe you asked my friends to come. Or that they came.”

“They should have been here,” Nick said as he had earlier. “They love you, Sabrina.” He pursed his lips. “I know Harvey didn’t come, but I asked…”

“I know you did.” She took a step toward him, wanting to be close to him. “I know that was hard for you.”

“In the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t my favorite thing I’ve ever done, but it certainly wasn’t the worst.”

“You went to them when they sent that ‘SOS’ message,” Sabrina recalled. “Even if we weren’t together, even if you’ve never been especially friendly with them.”

“They came with you to get me out of Hell,” Nick reminded her.

“You felt like you owed them,” Sabrina deciphered.

“Not exactly,” Nick admitted. “I mean, maybe to a point. But Sabrina, I did it for you.” Her insides warmed a bit. “I knew you had gone to Hell and wouldn’t be back for a while. I know how much they mean to you.” He looked nearly bashful. “And I…” He shrugged. “I was trying to make things right with you even then.”

“And then you all died,” Sabrina said, the pain the memory brought up evident.

“No,” he shook his head. “You’re not going there. Not tonight. Not on your birthday.”

“But Nick…”

“Sabrina.” She stopped and looked at him. He looked entirely serious. “Not tonight.”

“Not tonight,” she agreed. “I’m having a good – great – birthday and things are mostly okay now.”

“Things are okay now,” he agreed, purposefully leaving out ‘mostly.’ Things still weren’t perfect, but they were far better than they were just weeks ago. He smiled a bit, deciding to seize the moment and hopefully bring Sabrina’s mood up. “I have something for you.”

“But… The flowers. My friends…” As far as Sabrina was concerned, Nick had already gone above and beyond to make her day special.

“I should have brought you flowers often,” Nick said. He had realized that while he had always been there for Sabrina, supporting her, protecting her, he hadn’t truly had the chance to romance her. They had made out in dark corners of Dorian’s and in rare moments when they found themselves alone in Sabrina’s bedroom. They had gone on a few dates when their wild lives allowed them. But he hadn’t been granted the chance to romance her. If given the chance, he wanted to do things different this time. Flowers just because, real dates, the romance she deserved. “And like I said, your friends should have been here.” He reached into his jacket and produced a slim box. “This is your birthday gift. From me.”

Sabrina curiously took the box. She glanced at Nick and saw he looked nervous before she opened the lid. A soft gasp escaped her. A delicate gold necklace was in its velvet with a dainty crescent moon charm hanging from it.

“A moon,” she said, bringing her eyes to Nick’s. She understood. She was his moon and this was his way of reminding her of that – that she was important to him. “Thank you, Nick. It’s beautiful.”

“Happy birthday, Spellman.”

She was sure her heart stopped. He looked cautious but hopeful. Tears sprang to her eyes, but for the first time in a long time, they were happy tears.

“You called me Spellman.”

“It felt right,” he said. He left it there, but he knew Sabrina understood. ‘Spellman’ was his name for her. He was the only one who called her that. But for a long time, it had been too intimate, too familiar. And then she was only half of herself for a long time. She was truly ‘Spellman’ to him now, her beings merged, their relationship more stable.

She took the necklace out of the box and held it out to him.

“Will you put it on me?”

Nick nodded and took the necklace from her. She turned and lifted her hair. She could do this herself, but there was something about asking Nick to do it that felt romantic to her. He delicately placed the necklace around her neck. Once he fastened the clasp, he let his hands fall to her shoulders. Sabrina reached up to cover his hand, but her fingers grazed a rough patch of skin just behind her ear she hadn’t noticed before.

“What…”

Nick looked to where her fingers were fumbling over the skin. He cringed.

“That’s… Where I branded you when we had your two halves in the dollhouse.” Sabrina looked at him, confused. “We assumed the pair of you would become more like one another – which you did – when you were together. We needed a way to identify you. I meant to remove it, but we went right from merging you to overthrowing the Dark Lord…”

“What does it look like?” she asked.

Nick conjured a hand mirror with ease. They only had the light from the front porch sconce and the moon, but it was enough for her to identify the small, white ‘SS’ just behind her ear. She ran a gentle finger over it.

“I can take it off,” Nick offered. “It won’t hurt…”

“No.” Sabrina covered it with her hand. “Leave it.”

“Are you sure?” Nick asked. “It will take moments…”

“Leave it,” Sabrina said again. “’Sabrina Spellman.’ That’s who I am. This will remind me of that if I ever forget again.”

“I don’t think you’ll forget who are,” Nick chanced. “I don’t think you truly ever did. You were always you, deep down.”

Sabrina had her doubts, but she didn’t argue with him. If he saw her as a Spellman, she wasn’t going to dispute him. She turned to face him and took his hand in hers. She turned it over and studied his palm. She traced his lifeline, noted that it was long and unbroken. She had never bought into things like palm reading, but now that she knew Mambo, she thought there might be something to it. She lifted her eyes to Nick’s.

“Tell me about the bindings?” she requested. She phrased her question in a way that gave him freedom to say no. Instead, he tangled his fingers with hers and held them loosely. That was one of the easier topics of discussion for him.

“Those came from Amalia,” he shared. He saw by the way her eyes grew that she was surprised by his answer. “She put them on me not long after we escaped my father. I think, early on, she put them on me to keep me from wandering off when she would leave me to hunt for food or supplies. But as I got older and began to think for myself, she started to use them to keep me with her in a possessive sort of way. When I ended up at the Academy and realized Amalia was a danger, I taught myself how to break them.”

Sabrina marveled at the complex magic Nick had not only taught himself, but performed on himself.

“How did you end up at the Academy?” she wondered.

“My mom would tell me about how I would go off to school when I was old enough to learn magic,” Nick recalled with a fondness that told Sabrina it was one of his happy memories with his mother. “I couldn’t wait to go, learn everything.” Sabrina smiled. Of course he had been chomping at the bit to go to school. “I kept asking Amalia about school, but she kept putting me off. She took me out of Europe – perhaps to take me away from the school I would have gone to – but I was more resourceful than she gave me credit for. I figured out we weren’t far from the Academy and managed to sneak away from her. I ended up in front of Faustus Blackwood who was all too happy to take me in.”

“You did all of that?” Sabrina asked, her wonderment clear. “How old were you?”

“Ten,” Nick answered. “I wanted to go to school and frankly, I was really tired of living in the woods.”

Sabrina shifted towards him. She wished he could see himself as she did. He was resilient, strong. He had faced more in his first seventeen years than most warlocks would face in their very long lifetimes and he was still standing.

“To Heaven with it,” she breathed. She reached for him and he didn’t hesitate to pull her into an embrace. She sighed from content as he held her close. “I could stay right here for a long time,” she admitted. She felt his smile in the way his body shifted and his embrace tightened.

“I could keep you here for a long time,” he returned. “But it’s late, and I do think I should let you go back inside to finish the evening off with your aunts and Ambrose.”

Sabrina pulled back just enough so she could look at him. She had a lot of questions about their relationship, about Nick. It was time to get answers.

“We should talk, Nick,” she ventured. “About the rest of it. And maybe put some definitions around whatever this is between us.”

“It’s time,” Nick agreed. “Meet me in the clearing tomorrow?”

Sabrina nodded.

“I’ll be there.”

It took all Nick had not to kiss her. If things went well the next day, he prayed he would have the chance to kiss her senseless soon.

“Have a good night, Sabrina.” He did press a kiss to her forehead. Sabrina’s heart fluttered. “Happy Birthday.”

“Goodnight, Nick,” she replied. He smiled at her before he descended the stairs. She stayed outside until he was through the gate and teleported away. She returned inside, fingers playing with the charm around her neck. Hilda was passing through the entry with a tray of dirty dishes from their evening tea in the living room.

“Nicholas gone?” she inquired.

“He is,” Sabrina answered with a smile. Hilda gave her a knowing smile.

“Have a good birthday, then?”

Sabrina nodded, her smile growing.

“Seventeen is definitely off to a good start.” She bit her lip for a moment. “I think I’m going to like being seventeen.”

“I have a feeling you will,” Hilda agreed with a wink. Sabrina’s smile grew bigger.

“Ambrose?” she called out. “Where are you?”

“Depends on what you want,” he called from somewhere in the house. “If you’ve split yourself in half again, I’m quite busy.”

She found him in the kitchen, helping himself to leftover cake while Hilda cleared around him.

“What were you and Prudence doing in the corner earlier?”

“Utterly and completely none of your business.”

“Tell me.” She summoned a clean fork from the drawer. It whizzed past Hilda’s head.

“Sabrina!” she chastised.

“Sorry,” Sabrina muttered without sincerity. Cee, who was on dish duty, chuckled. “Tell me, Ambrose!”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes! It’s my birthday!”

“I don’t care…”

They were off, Sabrina nagging, Ambrose staunchly refusing to answer her incessant questions.

Seventeen was off to a good start indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nick went all in, didn't he? I mean, he manned up and asked HARVEY to come to her birthday. I think Harvey was right to refuse, but the gesture was flawless. I maintain that Nick going to help her friends had nothing to do with them and everything to do with her. 
> 
> Next update is crucial for them... I'll leave that there. ;) 
> 
> Let me know your thoughts on this one! XOXO


	26. Chapter Twenty-Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ready for the last of their big talks? 
> 
> Warning: This chapter is a bit dark. It may be a trigger for those who have experienced trauma.

Nick’s stomach churned as he made his way down the Academy stairs, sights set on the door. The conversation he was about to have with Sabrina was going to be hard. It was going to take all he had. He was going to have to access a deep level of honesty, both say and likely hear some hard things. He was going to have to be transparent, re-live things he didn’t want to re-live. But he wanted Sabrina and after her birthday the night before, he felt sure she wanted him, too. This was a case where the risk was worth the reward. 

He had to risk it all. 

But the reward was her.

“Going somewhere, Nicholas?” 

Nick startled to a stop and found he had nearly walked right into Mambo Marie. 

“Mambo, hi,” he greeted. “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention…” 

“You’re in your head,” Mambo observed. 

“I’m on my way to meet Sabrina,” he said by way of explanation. 

“Ah,” Mambo gave a single nod. She offered him a kind smile. “Don’t be so nervous, Nicholas. Everything is going to be fine.” 

He returned her smile. He liked Mambo. She was mysterious and sometimes aloof. It unnerved him from time to time when she would comment on how future events would turn out in a roundabout kind of way, much like she just had. But there was still something about her that was warm, welcoming. He hoped her and Prudence would continue to bond. 

“I hope so,” he said. “I’m going to get going. I don’t want to be late.” 

“Of course,” Mambo agreed. Nick had pulled the door open to leave when Mambo spoke again. “Nicholas.” He looked back at her. “You look like your father, but you are your mother’s son.” Nick furrowed an eyebrow in confusion. “It’s her that guides you. You ignored that voice inside of you for a long time, didn’t you?” Nick just pursed his lips, confirming Mambo was right. “Listen to that inner voice, Nicholas. She will never steer you wrong.” 

Nick felt somehow lighter as he walked through the woods. Mambo had given him confirmation of what he had known all along. His instincts had always been strong, but since he got sober and started to examine himself and his choices, it had gotten stronger. The more he had listened to it, the more he had healed. His intuition had sent him back to Greendale, to Sabrina. It made perfect sense and gave him immense comfort that he still carried a piece of his mother with him. 

He paused just before he stepped into the clearing. Sabrina was already there, seated on a red and black checked blanket she had spread in the center of the clearing. He could tell she was nervous by the way she sat fiddling with her hands in her lap. Catching her with her guard down was endearing. He smiled a bit and stepped into the clearing. Sabrina looked his way. 

“Nick.” 

“Hey,” he greeted. “Got room for one more on that blanket?” 

“I have room for you,” Sabrina corrected. Nick joined her on the blanket. He sat close, but still left some room between them out of both respect and self-preservation. He noted that she was wearing the necklace he gave her. That further bolstered his confidence. Still, there was a beat of awkwardness between them. Sabrina bit her lip and released it. “Nick, can I ask something of you?” 

“Anything,” he nodded. 

“Will you be completely honest with me? Even if you think what you have to say might hurt my feelings?” 

“I will, but I need you return the same courtesy,” Nick replied seriously. “That’s the only this will work, Sabrina.” 

Sabrina took a deep breath. It felt like now or never. She launched right into the heart of the fire. 

“Why did absorb the Dark Lord?” she asked. Nick frowned. Of all the places she could have chosen for them to begin this conversation, his decision to take the Dark Lord into himself wasn’t what he had expected. Still, he answered. 

“Why?” he repeated. “Sabrina, I did it to protect you.” 

“You did,” Sabrina agreed. “But there was something more there. I know it was.” 

She had been thinking about his motives in quiet moments. She didn’t doubt that he scarified himself for her. But she thought there was something more that drove him, some other factor that drove him to making such rash decision. He trailed his fingers over the scratchy wool of the blanket as he thought back those hours after she learned the truth and before he was at the Dark Lord’s mercy. 

“I wanted to make amends,” he shared. “In your bedroom, you told me you didn’t think you would ever trust me again. I knew what I was doing, Sabrina. Maybe I didn’t know how bad it was going to be, but I knew I was setting myself up for torture. I never hesitated though. I wanted you to know I loved you and I wanted to prove it. I genuinely thought it would be the last thing I ever did. That’s how I wanted you to remember me – as a guy who had messed up but loved you enough to give up everything. If I couldn’t have you, if I couldn’t have your love or your trust, the least I could do was give you all of mine to make up for abusing it in the first place.” 

“Nick…” 

“You don’t understand, Sabrina,” he cut her off. “In the span of weeks, I went from being intrigued by the moral concept of love to realizing the way I felt – the way I feel – for you was, in fact, love. It was an emotion I didn’t think I was capable of and I was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, you might feel the same way about me…” 

“I did… I do…” 

“It devastated me to know I hurt you like that,” Nick pressed on. “You need to know, Sabrina, that I begged him to release me from my devotion. I pleaded with him to have me do literally anything else, but he refused me. I hated hurting you.” Tears burned at his eyes. He pushed them down. “You were the first good thing in my life in a very long time and I ruined it. Sacrificing myself saved you.” He swallowed down a lump in his throat. “I meant it to be my last act of love. And perhaps my first true act of selflessness” 

“I was never going to leave you in Hell, Nick,” Sabrina shook her head, her own eyes sparkling with tears at his admission. “I started trying to get you out of there the moment those gates closed behind you.” 

“Roz told me a little about the time I was gone,” Nick admitted. “Will you tell me about that?” 

“I wanted you out of there,” Sabrina stated in a way that left no room for it to be disputed as less than fact. “You didn’t deserve to be there, and I wanted you back where you belong.” She played with the charm around her neck. “I went to those gates every single morning to try to open them. I fell asleep researching every night, only to be woken up by nightmares. I wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t really even functioning. I just wanted you home.” 

“Why?” Nick asked. Sabrina frowned much as he had when she asked him why had sacrificed himself. 

“Why?” 

“You wanted to know my motives for sacrificing myself. I want to know yours for getting me out of Hell.” 

Sabrina sighed. She continued playing with the charm. She found comfort in it. It felt like she somehow carried a piece of Nick with her. 

“I felt guilty,” she admitted. “You gave up your life for me.” She raised her eyes to his. “But more than that, I didn’t get to tell you I loved you. It was all I could think about – that you were in Hell, being tortured, and didn’t know I loved you.” 

She shuttered as a sob tried to work its way out. She continued to try to push it down. 

“I was close to giving up when you found me,” Nick shared. “You gave me that last injection of strength I needed to get through those final days of being possessed.” 

Sabrina looked like she was pain. Nick reached out and ran comforting hand down her back. Her eyes brimmed with the tears she tried to hold back as she looked at him. 

“Tell me about it?” she requested. Her voice shook. She knew what she was asking of Nick. “It’s okay if you don’t want to.” She wanted to know what he went through, but she absolutely would not make him re-live it if he didn’t want to. Or couldn’t. “I’ll understand.” 

He took her hand in his. He didn’t want to talk about it. He wanted to tell her it was awful and move on. But he thought he needed to talk about it. With her, at least. 

“It was horrible,” he shared. “It was constant torture, all the time. The worst things I’ve ever thought about myself were exposed and ripped raw. He fought me – physically fought me – constantly as I wrestled for control. Everything hurt, Sabrina. My body, my mind, my soul. And then Lilith… she tortured me just for fun. She cut my tongue out, dressed me like a puppet, beat me anytime the Dark Lord would strike at her.” 

Sabrina let out a whimper and covered her face with her free hand. Nick kept going. He couldn’t stop now that he was talking about it for the first time since he erupted in the woods. 

“I was humiliated, debased… We know how time works in Hell now. It really was years, not just a month. I came back here and believe me, Sabrina, all I wanted was to curl up in your bed with you and appreciate the fact that I was home, with you, and that you loved me, but my very being, my identity, had been stripped away from me. I didn’t know how to cope.” 

Sabrina cried in earnest, no longer able to hold them back. Nick wiped at his own tears. He had worked hard over the time he was in Romania to process what he had been through, accept it, try to integrate the experience into his existence. But re-living those moments was still difficult. It was necessary for his own healing and he thought for Sabrina’s, too, but he prayed to whatever deity that would listen that this would be the last time he had to talk about it. 

“I’m so sorry, Nick,” she said through her tears. “I cannot express to you how sorry I am. I hate that you went through that… For me…” 

Nick still had her hand. He used it to pull her closer. 

“Sabrina.” 

“Nick…” She shook her head. She didn’t want what he was offering. She knew he was going to try to soothe her, try to take away her tears. “Don’t…” 

“Sabrina, I need you listen to me.” Nick didn’t give her room to push back. “What happened to me was horrible. It was something no one should have to go through. But it happened to me and I can’t change that. You can’t change that. This is a part of my existence. For a while, I let it control me. But I eventually found the strength to face it. I chose to deal with it a Heaven of a lot better than I did when I came back.” 

“But… You… Because of me…” 

“What happened to me in Hell isn’t your fault,” Nick said sternly. “It’s not mine, either. It’s the Dark Lord’s and Lilith’s. Not yours, not mine. You cannot blame yourself, Sabrina.” 

“That’s hard for me, Nick,” she said. “Rationally, I know it. I know it’s not my fault, that I couldn’t control their actions. But in my heart? It doesn’t feel that way. It feels like I’m directly responsible for your suffering.” 

“You’re not,” Nick said again. He caught her under her chin and tilted her head so she had to look at him. “You are, however, directly responsible for saving me.” 

Tears leaked down her cheeks. 

“I couldn’t leave you there, Nick. I love you too much.” 

He brushed her tears away. 

“I love you, too,” he told her. “I love you more now than I did when I sacrificed myself.” He wiped away a fresh tear. “Trust me, I know what it’s like to be without you. I don’t like it.” 

“I don’t like it either,” Sabrina confessed. “But sometimes it feels like the world is against us.” 

“We’ve had a lot of obstacles,” Nick agreed. “But for the first time, we’re the only ones standing in our way.”

“We’ve hurt each other,” Sabrina reminded him. “I wasn’t there for you. You…” She trailed off, not wanting to hurt him. 

“I said horrible things,” Nick finished for her, owning his mistakes. “I did horrible things. I lied to you. I cheated on you. I did all of that, and I will regret it until the day I die. I can’t change it, but I can promise that I’m not going to put you through that again.” 

“It was the cheating that hurt the most,” Sabrina confessed. “I know you were hurting, Nick, and that you needed something – anything – to ease the pain, but seeing you with them…” 

She pulled away. Not physically. Physically she was still right there. He still had her hand in his. But emotionally, she had backed away, tucking herself into a corner where her pain from his discretion was still fresh. He battled his guilt to work through the hurt rolling off the girl that was right in front of him. 

“I needed to forget,” he explained gently. “The pain they caused took my mind off of what I was put through. It was another way to numb my feelings, to not face what I’d been through. I’m not proud, Sabrina. I’m ashamed. The only thing I regret more than the cheating is telling you you weren’t worth it.” 

Her tears wouldn’t stop falling. Nick pushed on. 

“I came to that Hare Moon thing because I wanted so damned badly to make it right. I told you, Sabrina – all I wanted was to be the guy you wanted me to be – the guy you thought I was. But I couldn’t do it, not when everything was so fresh. And then it all fell apart.” 

Sabrina took her hand from his, pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them. She rested her forehead on her knees. Nick sighed as he took in her fetal position, a look so uncharacteristic of her. She was pulling even further away. He reached out, caught her wrist, and pulled her arm away. 

“You can’t do this,” he told her. He held firm as she tried to pull her arm away. “You can’t pull away if we’re going to talk about this and move past it.” 

Sabrina turned her head so she could look at him, even as it continued to rest on her knees. She looked heartbroken. Nick’s own suffering ticked up a notch. He had been doing well, feeling more settled, more stable. He felt the familiar urge to run away from her, to turn to the things that had brought him comfort in the past. He told himself he needed to stay put, that he needed to make choices right now that would benefit him in the long run, not put a short-term bandage over a wound that needed stitches and slow healing. 

He had to stay. 

Sabrina needed him to stay. 

“I felt like I wasn’t enough,” she confessed in a quiet voice, sharing a thought that had haunted her for far too long. “I wanted to be there. I wanted to help you. But you kept pushing me away. You would barely touch me, kiss me. Yet you went to those demons…” She closed her eyes for a moment, her pain evident. Her dark orbs were full of still more unshed tears when she opened them again. “I thought you didn’t want me. But it was that you saw my father when you looked at me.” 

She suddenly couldn’t stay still. She got to her feet in one swift move. 

“Sabrina?” Nick questioned, hurrying to his. He would chase her wherever she went. He refused to let her down this time.

“I hate this!” she erupted. She started to pace the clearing. Nick took a couple of steps, ready to take chase, but at the edge of the woods, she turned back and paced back across the space. “All I want is to be happy! I want to hang out with my friends, have family dinners,” she paused just long enough to look at him, “go on dates with you.” 

“Sabrina…” He took a step towards her. She resumed pacing. 

“Finally – finally – there is no evil force hovering over us, threatening our very existence, and here I am with my life in shambles all the same. One day, I’m having the best birthday I’ve had in a long time. The next? I feel like it’s all too much and things will never be okay again.” She turned back to him. She looked desperate. “What’s wrong with me, Nick?” 

Nick understood. It wasn’t just him. It was everything. Relationships were give and take. She had given and given and given some more over the last year. Everyone around her had taken that generosity in some way, particularly him. They had all given to her as well, but her tank was officially empty. He would be the one that picked up the slack this time. 

“Absolutely nothing is wrong with you.” 

He approached her slowly, the way one might approach a wounded wild animal. 

“You had a really shitty year. A lot of us did. You didn’t have a chance to deal with one thing before the next was on you. This wild range of emotions you’re feeling? The good day yesterday, the not so good day today? That’s normal. Witch, warlock, or mortal, what you’re feeling right now is normal.” 

He was close enough to touch her now. He gently pried her arms apart from where she had wrapped them around herself and took her hands in his. 

“There is nothing wrong with you, Sabrina. You’re human. You feel things. Sometimes those things are a lot. Right now, they’re a lot. But there is nothing wrong with you.” He pulled her to him and was relieved when she let him. “There was nothing wrong with me, either. Not like I thought there was.” She curled into his chest and inhaled his familiar scent. “My coping skills missed the mark for a while, but there was nothing wrong with _me._ It’s okay to feel.” 

He held her for a long time. She found comfort in his arms, in his reassurances that she wasn’t wrong or broken or any of the other things she had thought about herself for feeling this way. When she pulled back, her arms still on his biceps, she looked up at him with questions in her eyes. 

“How can I help you, Nick?” she wanted to know. “You’re more okay than you were, but you’re still not okay…” 

“I told you before that I think there will always be a part of me that feels a little broken,” he reminded her. “I need you to understand that, to know that there will be times when I might feel off or need a minute alone.” He brushed her hair out of her face, wondered where her headband was. “I need you to know that it will never be _you_ that I need a break from, even if we’re arguing, even I get upset with you, I will never need a break from _you_.” 

Sabrina nodded, knowing it was something she would have to work on. She would always want to jump in, help him, fix things. She would have to be cognizant to the fact that on occasion, Nick needed a break and to let him have it. With conditions. 

“I can do that,” she assured him. “But I need you to know that if you turn too far into yourself, I’m going to be there and I’m going to bring you back.”

Her confession that she would fight for him shifted something in him. He brushed his thumb along her cheek. 

“I love you, Sabrina.” 

A fresh round of tears filled her eyes. 

“Nick, I…” 

“Listen to me for a minute,” he cut her off gently. “I love _you_. I’m not proud of my past. I’m not proud of how I handled things. There aren’t words for how sorry I am for hurting you, over and over again. But I love you. I want one more chance with you. One more chance to do this right. I’m asking for your forgiveness, Sabrina. For the lies, the drinking, the cheating – all of it. Please.” 

Tears rolled down her cheeks once more, but she felt strong now. She nodded, her eyes on his. 

“I forgive you, Nick.” 

She meant it. Saying those four words lifted something heavy from her heart, allowed her a freedom she hadn’t felt in a long time. She mimicked his movements, brushing her fingers along his jaw. 

“Will you forgive me, Nick? For not being there when you needed me? For hurting you?” 

“I already have,” he promised her. He smiled a bit, almost shyly. “Be my girlfriend again?”

“If you’ll be my boyfriend,” she returned his smile. 

“Done,” Nick stated with certainty. A laugh came from Sabrina that made Nick smile, the mood lightening. “I love you, Spellman.” 

“And I love you, Scratch.” 

He kissed her then, a real kiss, deep but innocent. She felt it throughout her body and thought by the way Nick shifted to pull her closer that he felt it, too. She eventually pulled away and he rested his forehead against hers.

“I love you,” she said again.

“And I love you.”

He placed his hands on her cheeks and kissed her forehead in that endearing way of his. She smiled a bit and led him back to the blanket. 

“Can we stay here for a while?” Sabrina asked as they settled down. 

“I wasn’t planning on going anywhere,” Nick replied. He laid back and reached for Sabrina. She laid down next to him and rested her head on his chest as his arms went around her. He felt lighter, too. Happier, even. He pressed another kiss to her forehead. “I’ve missed holding you.” 

“I missed being in your arms.” Sabrina snuggled closer. She stayed there for a while, content to be with him, but there was something hanging over her she wanted to make perfectly clear, just in case he still had doubts. “Nick?” She lifted her head so she could see him. “You were never – ever – a placeholder.” 

Nick reached up and ran a hand through her hair. 

“Another fear of mine has been losing you,” he admitted. “When you were finally mine, I felt like you were too good to be true, that you would see who I really am and walk away.” He pursed his lips. “I guess, deep down, there was a part of me that let you go before you could let me go first.” 

Now that Sabrina knew more about Nick, she understood where his insecurities came from. It wasn’t entirely on her shoulders to help him feel secure in their relationship – she couldn’t take Nick’s struggles from him – but she could reassure him through both words and actions that she was with him. 

“I want you to know I didn’t do anything with Harvey,” she told him. She cringed. “Or Caliban.” 

“It wouldn’t matter to me if you had,” Nick said, telling the truth. “I don’t exactly have a squeaky-clean background in that area. I couldn’t and wouldn’t hold it against you.” 

“I want it to be with you,” she shared in a vulnerable manner. “I’m not sure that I’m ready yet, but I do want to be with you…” Nick was quiet. Sabrina studied his features, noting the conflict in them. Reality hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt nauseous. “Nick…” Her voice shook. He closed his eyes in both pain and embarrassment. “Nick… Did he…” She couldn’t say the words. 

“Yes,” Nick answered so softly Sabrina barely heard him. She let out a soft cry and collapsed on his chest as he tightened his arms around her. 

“I’m so sorry,” she mumbled into his chest. “Nick… I’m so sorry…” 

“It’s not your fault,” he told her again. “It’s not, Sabrina, and I won’t have you thinking it is.”

“Still…” 

“No,” Nick said firmly. “It’s something that happened to me that shouldn’t have, but it is not your fault. It’s not my fault. It’s Satan’s fault, and he’s dead.” His arm tightened around her even more. “It won’t define me. I won’t allow it.” 

“I’m so sorry,” she said again, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. She marveled, too, at Nick’s strength. Despite the horrors he had endured, he was still standing. He had somehow found his way, all on his own. 

“I’m ready for us to go there yet either,” he was honest. “But I do want that with you, Sabrina. I want that connection with you.” 

“There’s no rush,” Sabrina assured him. “Neither of us are ready. That’s okay.” 

She returned her head to his chest. He held her close. Another time of quiet lapsed between them as they enjoyed just being with one another. 

“Sabrina?” She lifted her head once more and looked at Nick. “You asked me what you can do for me. What can I do for you? How can I help you?”

Sabrina was thoughtful in her answer. 

“You can’t leave again,” she said with vulnerability. “I know we weren’t together and you didn’t owe me an explanation, but it hurt to wake up one morning and find out you were gone. I didn’t know where you were. I knew you weren’t okay, but you were just – gone. No goodbye, not even a note.” Her fingers danced along the pocket of the polo he wore under his leather jacket. “I knew it was because of me.” 

“It was you,” Nick said. “But it was me, too. What I’d been through. A lot of things led me to Romania. It was what I needed, and I wasn’t strong enough to tell you goodbye again.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “It damn near killed me the first time.” Another tear slipped out of the corner of her eye. He wiped it away. “I won’t leave you again, Sabrina.” He thought there was more to her fear of him leaving, related likely to what she had witnessed when she went back in time. All he could do was continue to be there, proving to her over time that he wasn’t going anywhere. “I’m right here. With you.” He leaned up and kissed her sweetly. “Always.” 

“Tell me about Romania,” she requested as she returned her head to his chest. “What’s it like?” 

“Old,” Nick answered. His fingers played through her hair. “Ancient. You think it feels like mortal Halloween here? Greendale has nothing on Romania. The village the Romani live in is remote. It’s way up in the mountains. You can feel the magic when you walk into the village. They don’t have to hide it like we do. But it’s also got an edge to it. You saw what they’re like – they like to fight. They’re rougher around the edges. They aren’t as progressive, still have a hierarchy of men over women, and would rather fight physically than use magic. But they’re good people, if you look past the rough exterior.” 

“You learned a lot from them,” Sabrina observed. 

“They filled in a lot of blanks for me,” Nick confirmed. “They told me a lot about my parents. They grew up together and Danut and others assured me that my dad really did love my mom. He had always liked to drink a bit too much, but they say he had tried to clean up his act when he married my mom. There was a relapse, but I came along, and he straightened up again, for a while. But he was never strong enough to stay away. When he woke up the next morning, found my mom dead and realized he’d done it, he snapped.” 

“What was it like, to see him again, talk to him?” 

“Disappointing,” Nick said easily. “He knew who I was, but there was no connection, for either of us. We share DNA and that’s it. At one point he said something to the effect of ‘you’re not a kid anymore, are you?’ but honestly, there was just – nothing. I’ve always let people assume both of my parents were dead and after meeting him, I think it’s just as well.” 

Sabrina lifted herself up and crossed her arms over Nick’s chest so she could see him better. 

“Neither of us got the father we deserved, did we?” 

“No,” Nick agreed, “we most certainly did not.”

“We did get each other though,” she continued. “We can’t change who our fathers are, what they did to us. But we have each other.” 

“We have each other,” Nick repeated. “Their legacies are not ours.”

Sabrina leaned down and kissed him lightly, sealing his words as a promise 

“By the way, I need a date to Hilda’s wedding this weekend.” She smiled at him. “Think you’re up for it?” 

“My girl all dressed up and Hilda’s cookie table,” Nick mused. “I’m there.” 

Sabrina’s laughter was music to his ears.

A year ago almost exactly, Sabrina Spellman had walked through the doors of the choir room and into his life. He had no idea what lie ahead when he fell for her, but at the end of the day, he wouldn’t change any of it. Hard lessons were learned, hard battles were fought. But they ended up together on the other side of it all and he felt firm in his belief that they wouldn’t be apart again. 

She shivered in his arms, the chill of the late fall air settling in around them. A mere mortal would suggest that they go home. But he was no mortal. He conjured a small campfire with a simple spell and knew by the way Sabrina snuggled closer that it was the right move. He pressed a kiss to her temple. 

“I love you, Spellman.” 

“I love you, Scratch.”

They stayed there until Salem appeared hours later to summon them for dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now they're truly back together. I'd say they're still a lot raw, but they also decided to be together and sometimes, it comes down to that - deciding. 
> 
> We've got two more chapter left before this story comes to a close. I'm always said to see a story end, but this one especially. But we're not done yet! 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this one! XOXO


	27. Chapter Twenty-Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who knew a kiss would be such a big hit? Nick and Sabrina are, in fact, officially back together. And now... They're at a wedding.

Sabrina hadn’t left Nick’s side all evening. Since the moment Hilda and Cee said ‘I do’ and the reception began, she was with him. They had danced, mingled with guests, danced some more. At one point, they had snuck away and shared a few kisses in a dark corner of the back porch.

Over the last week since their true reconciliation, they had spent a lot of time together, getting to know one another again and re-establishing their physical connection. The more time they spent together, the more it felt like they were finally moving forward. So much so that Sabrina was perched in his lap in the middle of the Spellman living room with no regards to how it may have looked to their remaining lingering guests. 

She didn’t even care that Zelda wore a disapproving look as she approached. 

“Sabrina.” 

“Hi, Zelda.” 

“Directrix Spellman,” Nick added politely. Zelda merely gave him a suspicious look that had nothing to do with his greeting and everything to do with his intentions involving her niece seated in his lap. 

“Hilda and Cee’s plan to head to the mountains tonight to begin their honeymoon fell through, something about a double booking,” Zelda informed Sabrina. “We’re going to clear out and allow them to have the house to themselves tonight. They will leave in the morning.” 

Sabrina frowned. 

“You’re kicking me out?” 

“That’s correct,” Zelda nodded.

“But… They could stay at Cee’s…” 

“They’re staying here,” Zelda stated. “On their wedding night.” Her eyes drifted to Nick again. “I’m sure you can find somewhere to sleep at the Academy.” 

She turned on her heel and walked away. Sabrina looked to Nick. 

“To think you agreed to work for her.” 

“I did,” Nick agreed. But his agreement to begin working for Zelda as a teacher at the Academy after the Winter Solstice break wasn’t his main focus right then. He saw an opportunity he had been looking for. “You could stay with me tonight…”

Sabrina considered him. They hadn’t spent a whole night together with the exception of the night Nick came to her when she had nightmares. She had largely avoided his bedroom, too, even if she knew he had been trying to find small ways to get her there all week, like suggesting they meet there or asking her to come with him while he collected a book. She had hovered near the door each time, still uncomfortable with being there. This was a built-in excuse for him to have her there for a length of time. 

“Okay,” she agreed after a beat. He could sense her hesitation. “I just need to pack an overnight bag.”

Sabrina took her time, Nick noted. She helped clean up, moved a little slower as she packed her bag. He didn’t hurry her. Something about his room made her uneasy and as much as he wanted her to be comfortable in the space, he also understood that she needed to do so at her own pace. When she was ready, he took her bag and her hand and teleported them to the Academy. He was intentional in his choice to arrive in the hallway rather than in his bedroom.

“I’m not going to lie, I’m looking forward to getting out of this suit,” he said as they approached his bedroom. He still had her hand in his. He smiled at her. “You look beautiful, Spellman.” Her cheeks flushed. 

“You’ve told me that a few times tonight, Scratch.”

“Just wanted to make sure you knew.” She was utterly stunning in the dark green dress Hilda had chosen for her as a bridesmaid. He paused at his door and faced her. “Are you okay with this? I know my room doesn’t hold the best memories for you. If you want to stay somewhere else…” 

“We’re making good memories here, right?” she chanced, recognizing that she needed to find a way to move through her anxiety about his space. “I want to stay here tonight.” She wanted to get over the hurdle that was Nick’s room.

“Good memories,” Nick echoed. “I promise.” 

He let them into his room. He allowed Sabrina to take her time following him inside. He turned on a lamp, then shrugged out of his jacket. 

“I’m going to change,” he said, purposefully allowing her the chance to acclimate to the room alone. “Make yourself at home.” 

Sabrina wandered further into the room and took a deep breath. The room smelled like sandalwood, a scent she associated with Nick. She found some confidence in that. She put her bag down and perched on the edge of Nick’s bed. She wished she had thought to change at the mortuary, but she had been so distracted by the idea of spending the night with Nick that it never crossed her mind. 

She took another deep breath and reminded herself they were together, that they had put the past behind them and were moving forward. Nick had broken her heart in this room, but he had broken his own, too. She knew she needed this, time spent with Nick here, making new memories to not replace the bad ones, but push them down where they weren’t the first thoughts that came to mind. 

Nick emerged from the bathroom dressed in sweats and a t-shirt. 

“I can light a fire if you’re chilly,” he offered. 

“I’m okay,” Sabrina replied. It was awkward between them and she didn’t like it. “I think I’ll go change too, if you don’t mind.” 

“Of course,” Nick waved his hand towards the bathroom. “There are towels in the cabinet if you want to take a bath.” He wanted her with him, but he knew baths soothed her. If it took a soak in a tub for her to feel okay, he would allow her the time she needed. “I’ll be out here.” 

Sabrina smiled gratefully, sensing how hard he was trying to make her comfortable. She paused as she passed him and kissed his cheek in a show of silent gratitude. The small gesture made him smile. 

In the bathroom, she considered taking a bath. She didn’t need one, had just taken a shower before the wedding. It would simply be a delay tactic. She was doing neither of them any favors by avoiding Nick’s bedroom. She felt almost silly for having such a strong reaction to the room. He had broken her heart, but she had done a lot of damage too and there was no question that Nick had been through more than his fair share of difficulties. If he could face Hell for her again – twice – she could face his bedroom. 

She changed quickly, glad she had opted for a silky shorts and camisole set. It was both a little conservative and a little sexy. She thought Nick might like it. She smiled at herself a bit for thinking like that. Neither of them was ready, but she had felt the shift in their intimacy all the same. Their kisses were deeper, their hands braver. She took a deep breath and returned to the bedroom. 

“All set?” Nick asked. He was perched on an armchair in the corner. Sabrina knew he sat there a lot, usually with a book in hand. It was one of those things about him she found endearing. She sensed his nervousness. 

“All set,” she echoed. He stood and came to her, ready to broach the topic. 

“I know it’s not easy for you to be here.” He took her hands. “I want to make this a better place for you.” He squeezed her hands. “Tell me why this is so hard for you. I know I broke your heart in this room, but I feel like there is something more going on in that head of yours.” 

Sabrina wondered at the fact that he could see through her, always knew when there was something more going on. She tried to put her feelings into words.

“You were my safe place, Nick,” she started. “I know it was the right thing to do, breaking up with me, and that you needed space, but in that moment, it felt like the last stable thing I had in my life was swept away. Once again, I didn’t have a choice in the matter. Someone else made the choice for me and of all the things I’d been through up to that point, you walking away from us was the thing that absolutely broke me.” 

“I’d argue that I was anything but stable,” Nick chanced. 

“Not to me,” Sabrina tried to explain. “I could take your hand and everything would be okay, even when absolutely nothing was okay. For whatever reason, being in your room reminds me that nothing is certain, that the one thing you count on as solid can be pulled out from under you in the blink of an eye.” 

Nick laced their fingers together and squeezed them again. He understood now. To Sabrina, he was her rock in the same way she was his. He had never been in that position before, where someone relied on him, counted on him, believed he would be there. It was a fragile thing, and it had rocked Sabrina to lose that. He had to rebuild her trust in not only him, but their relationship. 

He kept one of her hands in his and led her to his bed. He took the same seat he had the day he broke up with her, guided her to the spot she had been. He cupped her cheek and looked into her eyes. He could see the conflict there. She wanted to run just as much as she wanted to stay. 

“You asked me to kiss you the last time you were here.” 

“You didn’t,” Sabrina whispered. 

“I couldn’t,” Nick corrected. “I meant it, Sabrina. If I would have kissed you, I wouldn’t have walked away. And if I hadn’t walked away, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.” 

“I know that now,” Sabrina admitted. “But it still hurt. It crushed me, Nick.” 

“It did no favors for me either,” Nick said. “But I want to right that wrong right now.” His hand was still on her cheek. He grazed his thumb across her fine cheekbone. “I love you, Spellman. And I have no intentions of walking away from you ever again.” 

He leaned in and kissed her then. He poured all he had into that kiss to make sure it was one she would remember. She sighed and moved closer, some of her anxiety falling away as she lost herself in Nick’s lips. He pulled away long enough to take a breath, then closed the distance once more. When they finally parted, their lips were swollen, and Nick’s hair was in disarray from Sabrina’s fingers. 

“That’s a better memory,” she declared. Nick chuckled and pecked her lips again before leaning back on his elbows. It was late, but not so late either of them was ready for bed. 

“Want to watch a movie?” he proposed. Sabrina raised an eyebrow. 

“You don’t have a television,” she pointed out. She knew he didn’t especially enjoy watching movies and preferred books, hands down. 

“You forget who you’re with, Spellman.” 

He sat up and with a few sentences of complicated words, conjured a television set from out of nowhere. Sabrina was sufficiently impressed – and the act made her swoon just a bit. He really was going out of his way for her. 

“You are something else, Scratch,” she stated. 

“Only for you,” he said. “Find us something to watch, Spellman.” 

She took a moment to consider her options, then, with a spell of her own, _Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ filled the screen. Nick cautiously moved so he was propped up against the pillows of his bed. He left it up to Sabrina to choose what she did next and to his relief, she settled in next to him. He put his arm around her and she rested her head on his shoulder. 

It started off innocent enough, their eyes on the screen as the movie unfolded. Sabrina would swear Nick started it by pressing an affectionate kiss to her hair. He would say she started it by turning to capture his lips with her own. Regardless of who started it, they were soon full on making out. 

Nick felt bold. He was tentative in his movements, but whatever it was within himself that shied away from intimacy in the wake of what the Dark Lord had done to him began to fade as Sabrina responded to his touch. She herself was cautious as her hand trailed down his chest, somehow both completely lost in Nick and hyper aware of any boundary he had that she didn’t know about yet. They had made out a few times now, but this time was different. This time was more physical, less cautious. 

“I adore you,” he breathed before going in for another kiss. 

The desperation eventually faded away to soft, sweet kisses, the movie long forgotten. They eventually made their way under the blankets and when Sabrina fell asleep in his arms, Nick held her a little closer, closed his eyes, and said a prayer of gratitude. He still didn’t know who he was praying to, Hecate or otherwise, but he was sure there was something out there that had led them back to one another. 

He drifted off to sleep himself, only to be awoken a few hours later by Sabrina’s whimpers. It took him a moment to come to his senses and realize she was caught up in the throes of a nightmare. He rolled over and wrapped his arms around her, her back to his chest, and held her close. 

“It’s okay,” he whispered as she moved around restlessly. “It’s just a dream. You’re safe.” 

She settled down, never quite waking, but something within her recognized that she really was safe, protected. Nick didn’t fully relax until she let out a content sigh and the tension in her body released. 

When she woke a few hours later, she didn’t remember her nightmare. She only remembered falling asleep in Nick’s arms, their sweet kisses, the passionate ones before it. His fingers lazily moving through her hair alerted her to the fact that he was awake as well. 

“Good morning,” she said even as she snuggled closer. 

“Morning,” he replied. He pressed a kiss to her hair. 

“How did you sleep?” 

“Amazing,” she said. “Your bed is comfortable.” He chuckled into her hair. 

“You don’t remember having a bad dream last night?” 

“I don’t.” She lifted her head from his chest so she could see him. “I’ve been having bad dreams most nights. I really thought I slept through the night last night.” 

“Technically, you did.” Nick brushed her hair back. “You didn’t wake up. I wrapped my arms around you, whispered a few calming words, and you settled down.” 

“You’ve got the magic touch then,” Sabrina teased. Nick chuckled again. 

“Feeling a little better about being here?” he asked. 

“I do,” Sabrina confirmed. “It seems I just needed to spend the night with you.” 

“I’m a big fan of spending the night with you,” Nick declared, making Sabrina laugh. 

“You know, you haven’t kissed me good morning,” she ventured. 

“Hmmm,” Nick hummed. “I should take care of that.” 

There was want in his kiss. He rolled over so he was on top of her and she could feel him through the boxers he had slept in. It wasn’t the first time she had felt him. Between their hot and heavy make out sessions before the Dark Lord came calling and the fact that she knew men woke up ready, as Zelda would say, it was a familiar feeling to her, him pressing against her hip. With their thin clothing on, it was more intimate now.

Sabrina resisted the urge to press her hips into his. The tables had turned a bit in this area of their relationship. He needed to be the one who set the pace on the physical part of their relationship. She wasn’t ready either, but she was a lot closer than she was six months ago. 

Nick was losing himself in her. Being with her like this reminded him that it was okay to be physical, that sex could be, and in his case now, should be, for love. It was this thought along with his own desires that led him to thrust his hips into hers. Sabrina gasped. 

They both stilled. 

Nick pulled back and looked at her. 

“Sabrina… Are you okay…?” His worries were for her boundaries, not his own. That was a monumental moment for him. 

“I’m fine,” she nodded. “But what about you?” He smiled a bit. 

“I’m good,” he assured her. He even blushed a bit. “That was – okay.” His smile turned into a smirk. “Maybe we can continue?” 

“Whatever you want,” Sabrina said, eager to continue. She tried to keep that eagerness under wraps. “Lead the way, Scratch.” 

He didn’t hesitate to lower his lips to hers. He allowed his body the freedom to react, to do what it wanted to do. She sighed her contentment and his tongue found its way into her mouth. That only encouraged her to hold him tighter. 

Nick’s hands explored over her thin silky pajamas and hers wandered along his back. They spent several minutes getting lost in one another, their explorations of one another careful, their senses heightened. Sabrina was highly alert to Nick’s reactions, waited for any sign that he needed them to stop. 

His hands grew bolder, slipping under her camisole. She raked her fingernails every so lightly over his back and she knew he liked it by the way he pressed his hips into her. 

“Nick,” she sighed. 

“You okay?” he breathed. 

“I am,” she assured him. “Are you?” 

“I’m okay,” he confirmed, smiling at her before lowering his lips back to hers. His hand brushed over her nipple and she felt like she could fly. “I love you, Spellman.” 

“I love you, Scratch.” 

He massaged her breasts as their lips worked against one another and along each other’s necks. Lost in the feeling of what Nick was doing to her, Sabrina found herself pushing against him to turn over and allow her a turn on top. When Nick realized he was on his back, Sabrina on top of him, he froze. His eyes flew open and the memory of Hell tried to haunt him. Sabrina stilled and peered at him. She sensed his fear. She stayed put for a moment and smoothed her fingertips over his cheeks, reminding him that she was there because she loved him, that she wouldn’t hurt him. She kissed him gently, another reminder, then slipped off of him. She settled next to him. 

“Thank you, Sabrina,” he breathed, acknowledging that she had noticed he needed to stop. 

She kissed his cheek. 

“Slow,” she reminded him. “For both of us.” 

He pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head. 

“That was a Heaven of a way to wake up, regardless.” Sabrina chuckled against him. 

“It was,” she agreed. “I didn’t mind it at all.” 

“So, you might stay with me again?” Nick asked almost shyly. “My room is a little more okay?” 

“Your room is a lot more okay,” Sabrina assured him. 

They cuddled for a while, not really speaking, but enjoying being together, the progress in their relationship. Eventually, hunger inspired Sabrina to consider breaking up their cozy moment. 

“Want to get breakfast?” 

“I could eat,” Nick agreed. Sabrina pushed herself into a sitting position, then paused. 

“Hilda is gone,” she realized. “She’s on her honeymoon. There’s no one to cook.” Nick chuckled. 

“Seriously, Sabrina?” 

“Hilda feeds us,” Sabrina reminded him. “Me, Ambrose, Zelda? We don’t cook for ourselves. Ever. We eat what Hilda cooks or maybe get food from Cee’s. Which he cooks.” Nick’s amusement was clear as he sat up. 

“You’re fortunate I haven’t had Hilda cooking for me my whole life.” He tossed the blanket back and got out of bed. “Come on, Spellman. Let me feed you.” 

“You can cook?” Sabrina wondered. Nick scoffed. 

“Absolutely not. I can, however, pay for breakfast.” He grinned at her. “Get dressed, Spellman. I’m taking you to breakfast.” 

Sabrina smiled at his enthusiasm and got out of bed as well. 

“Take my bathroom,” he said. “I’ll go down the hall to the boys’ dormitory, use their bathroom to take a quick shower.” 

“You sure?” 

“Positive.” He put a hand on her waist and kissed her quickly, sweetly. “Good morning, by the way.” She beamed. 

“Good morning, Nicholas.” She kissed him back.

They parted ways, Sabrina to his bathroom, him down the hall. 

“You look happy this morning, Nicky.” Prudence was climbing the stairs. He stopped and raised an eyebrow. 

“You look rather thrilled yourself.” 

Prudence smiled coyly. 

“I had a very good night,” she said. “So did Ambrose.” 

“You going to admit that the pair of you are back together yet?” Nick asked. Prudence shrugged a shoulder. 

“It’s far more fun to be mysterious about it.” 

“We’ll all pretend like we don’t know you’ve forgiven him – and him you,” Nick teased. 

“Well, you do know a thing or two about lost loves returned, don’t you?” Prudence cooed. 

Nick smiled to himself. 

“I do,” he agreed. “Speaking of which, we’re going to breakfast. I should get a move on.” He considered her for a moment. Prudence was his oldest friend, an odd confidant of sorts. Surely Sabrina would understand if he invited her along. “Want to join us?” 

“No,” Prudence shook her head. “I’m meeting Mambo in her quarters for a late breakfast of our own – now that she’s parted ways with Zelda for the day.” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “It seems all the Spellmans had good nights.” 

“We were all due for one,” Nick shrugged. Prudence didn’t need to know he and Sabrina hadn’t done more than heavily make out that morning. “Enjoy your time with Mambo, Prudence.” 

He continued down the hall. 

“Nicky?” He turned back to Prudence with a raised eyebrow. She smiled at him. “It’s good to see you happy once more.” Slowly, Nick nodded. 

“It’s good to be happy.” 

He continued down the hall to the dormitory. It was blissfully empty, the coven’s warlock population minimal thanks to Blackwood. The few that remained were either already up for the day or still asleep. 

It hit him as he stood under the hot spray of the shower. 

Things had worked out. 

The road had been full of gaping potholes and surprise curves, but he had managed to stay the course and the road had eventually smoothed out, straightened out. The road had led him first away from Greendale and then back and ultimately, back to Sabrina. 

He smiled to himself. 

It was good to be happy. 

It was even better to be home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Total fluff, but it was deserved, I think? I do believe Sabrina will be a frequent visitor in his room in the coming days... 
> 
> One more update to go. Just one. I'm so sad and yet... I said I was going to take a break... But there *might* be something else well in the works... 
> 
> Let me know what you thought of this one!


	28. Chapter Twenty-Eight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are. The last chapter. 
> 
> This story's title comes from Maren Morris' "When The Bones Are Good." If you haven't heard it, listen to it. It's - kind of perfect. 
> 
> Enjoy.

Sabrina awoke slowly. It took her a moment to remember where she was. She smiled a bit and rolled over in bed. Nick was next to her, still sound asleep. He looked peaceful, his features relaxed, his hair messy. Her smile grew as she reached out a hand and ran it through his curls. 

“Hmm,” he groaned. “Sabrina?” 

“Good morning,” she confirmed. She leaned down and kissed him. He smiled against her lips and lifted his head from the pillow to chase her lips for one more kiss when she pulled away. “Something smells really good.” 

“Breakfast,” Nick confirmed. “It smells like mamaliga.” 

“What’s that?” Sabrina wondered. 

“Hilda would call it polenta,” Nick explained. “I’ll bet there’s smoked sausage, eggs, and vegetables as well, maybe some eggplant salad. Turkish coffee will definitely be on the menu.” 

“You sound excited,” Sabrina observed. 

“You’ll love a traditional Romanian breakfast. Della mentioned she was going to make us one when I was telling Danut goodnight last night.” 

“It’s kind of them to let us stay here.” 

“I think they’re enjoying it,” Nick mused. “They never had kids and they both seemed to have adored my mom.” 

Sabrina smiled. She and Nick had arrived in Romania the afternoon before and been greeted warmly by what felt like the whole village as they made their way to Nick’s great aunt and uncle’s home. She recognized some faces from the battle against the Terrors, even if she couldn’t recall their names, but they had welcomed her with open arms, simply because she was Nick. She had realized quickly that he had downplayed his time in Romania. This was his home, his roots. He had embraced that while he was there and she was excited to see more, learn more. 

He had been right about feeling magic in the air. They had teleported to a hillside just outside the village and as they walked down the path to the village, Sabrina had begun to feel the hair on her arms tingle. He had been right, too, about how the village was old and steeped in history. It looked like something out of a storybook, right down to their desecrated church in the center of town. She had fallen in love with the place almost instantly and was eager to start their day, for Nick to show her more. 

“We should go downstairs…” 

She made to get out of bed, but Nick caught her around the waist. 

“Already?” he asked. “We just woke up.” 

“But Danut and Della…” 

“Will be okay if we wait a few more minutes.” He kissed her sweetly. “Stay in bed with me, Spellman.” 

She couldn’t tell him no. She settled into his embrace and his hand drifted up and down her back. She sighed contently. 

It was April now, spring in full force in both Romania and Greendale. It had been six months since their hard conversation in the clearing and their relationship had only grown stronger. There had been moments when Nick had indeed needed to pull away and she had been forced to let him. But he had always stayed. He had always come back to her when he was ready, sometimes within hours, always by the next day, and those occasions had become further and further apart as the days progressed. 

She had followed through on her desire to withdraw from Baxter High. She had tried to return after the winter holidays, but within the week, she knew she wasn’t meant to be there, not anymore. Her aunts had withdrawn her without protest and she now studied independently at the Academy. Nick was thriving in his role as a teacher and Sabrina found the confidence growing in him with each passing week to be incredibly attractive. 

She had also managed to largely repair her relationship with Roz. They weren’t as close as they used to be, might not ever be, but it was nice to be able to meet her friend for a milkshake and a movie from time to time. Robin and Theo often came, too. Just recently, Harvey had joined them. It had been as awkward as Sabrina expected it would be, but it was a step towards restoring that friendship as well. 

Perhaps the oddest change in the last few months was that Hilda no longer – technically – lived at the mortuary. She and Cee had their own little cottage in the Greendale outskirts countryside. She was still at the mortuary often, cooking for them, tending her gardens, helping with bodies, but her presence was missed all the same. With Zelda at the Academy most of the time, the mortuary was often left to her and Ambrose. And, it seemed, Nick and Prudence. 

“I think today I’ll show you where I grew up,” Nick said after a few minutes of comfortable sleepy quiet. “Get it over with early into this trip.” 

“I’d like to see it,” she said softly. 

“I guess I didn’t really grow up there though, did I?” Nick continued. “Not really. I spent eight years there, then abruptly lost my mom, my home. I grew up at the Academy.” 

He had grown up in the year and a half he had known Sabrina. 

“I still want to see it,” she told him. “I want to know your Romania, Nick.” 

Nick kissed her forehead. 

“I’ll show you what I know,” he promised her. “And maybe we’ll learn a few new things, too.” 

They pulled themselves out of bed a few minutes later and joined Danut and Della downstairs where Della had, in fact, laid out an entire traditional Romanian breakfast. Danut and Nick fell into conversation over their plates while Della fussed over Sabrina. She reminded Sabrina quite a bit of Hilda. She quickly developed a rapport with the woman – Nick’s great-aunt, she reminded herself – as they ate and then cleared the table.

“I think Della might like to keep you,” Nick said a while later as they walked down the cobble stone lane that was essentially the main passage through the village, their arms linked. Sabrina noted the lack of vehicles, of other advancements. They lived simply and Sabrina was certain their electricity and water systems were all derived from magic. 

“I really like her,” Sabrina told him. “She reminds me of Hilda. But unlike Hilda, she sees the advantages of using magic to clean up after meals.” Nick chuckled. 

“I have a feeling Hilda uses magic on the dishes when no one is looking.” 

“I know she does,” Sabrina said matter-of-factly. “Ambrose and I have caught her over the years and she tries to deny it. She thinks it’s good for us, to do chores without magic sometimes.” 

“I suppose there’s validity to her statement, but magic is more – efficient.” 

“Exactly,” Sabrina said smugly. Nick chuckled. He did that a lot more lately – laugh and smile. It was a complete turn from how he had felt a year ago as he confessed his sins and went to Hell. 

He pointed out things to her as they walked. A shop he remembered from his childhood, a green space he used to play in. Sabrina tried to take it all in at once and had to remind herself she had the whole week to explore. He turned down a side street and she followed. This was a more residential area and she knew this was the street he had grown up on. 

She knew the house before Nick pointed it out to her. 

While the other homes on the street were well-kept despite their age, there was one home that looked to be caving in on itself, slowly but surely. She could tell it had once been a beautiful place, like the ones on either side of it, but years of neglect had led it to ruin. The yard was wild and overgrown, and she thought Nick was right – one good gust of wind would topple the place. 

“This is it,” he said in a quiet voice. “It’s not much. Not anymore.” 

Sabrina said nothing. She kept her arm linked with Nick’s but laced her fingers together with his. She rested her head on his shoulder. 

“What’s going through your mind, Scratch?” she wondered. 

“It wasn’t really all that long ago, all things considered,” he reasoned. “Ten years isn’t a lot of time. Not when you’re a warlock.” He had recently turned eighteen and been nearly embarrassed by the celebration the Spellmans – led by Sabrina – had insisted upon. “It feels like yesterday in some ways.” 

“You’ll miss your mom forever,” she said. “I miss my parents every day.” She now firmly believed Edward Spellman was her father, that her blood didn’t matter. She was a Spellman. 

“I miss my dad, too,” Nick confessed in a vulnerable moment. “He’s alive, but he’s – not. I have a few memories of him being a good dad, a good man. I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if he had found peace, however fragile, the way I did.” 

“Maybe it’s not too late,” Sabrina chanced. Nick shook his head. 

“It is for him,” he said with certainty. “Love saved me, but it broke him. His own mistakes led him to where he is now, but I really do believe he loved my mom, loved me.” 

Sabrina didn’t say anything further. She wouldn’t push for Nick to reconsider his stance on his father. She understood now that it wasn’t her fight. Nick had made peace with the man, with what had happened. She wouldn’t try to rock that. 

“It’s not safe for us to go inside,” he told her. “I went in while I was here last summer, but the entire second floor has collapsed. I think magic holds the place up at this point.” 

“This is enough,” she assured him. “Thank you for bringing me here. Both to your home and to Romania.” 

“This is important to me,” Nick told her. “You are important to me. I want you to see this part of me.” She smiled at him, her head still on his shoulder. They stood there for a few more minutes, Sabrina committing the scene to memory, Nick lost in thought. Eventually, he nodded his head once. “Ready to see some more, Spellman?” 

“Whatever you want to show me,” she assured him. 

They spent the day wandering around the village. They ate their lunch at an overlook, shared a few stolen moments making out when their sandwiches were gone. Nick introduced her to so many people she couldn’t keep them all straight. She loved seeing Nick like this. He was confident, charismatic. He reminded her more of the warlock she had fallen in love with than he had in a while, but more mature, more capable. Infinitely more attractive, something she didn’t think was possible. They ended up at the village’s only tavern for dinner. 

“I know what it looks like,” Nick said as they approached the old building Sabrina was eyeing with skepticism. “But trust me, this will be some of the best food you’ve ever eaten, next to Hilda’s.” 

The inside was somehow older than the outside, lit by hundreds of candles. Dust hung in the air. Nick was greeted like an old friend, but so was she. She was taken aback by the greeting, by how welcomed she was. Nick seemed to sense it. He caught her eye and winked at her. She smiled back and they were enveloped into a table of several people, some Sabrina recognized, others she was meeting for the first time, their names coming as fast as their hugs and warm welcomes. 

“Order for me?” Sabrina requested of Nick when she realized the menu was in Romanian. 

“Of course.” Nick kissed her cheek. Unlike her, he wasn’t fazed by the language. She listened as words rolled off his tongue with ease. A few minutes later, a bowl containing something that looked a lot like hummus and a plate of flat bread was placed in front of them. “Salata de vinete,” Nick explained. “Eggplant salad. Our appetizer.” 

“Didn’t we have eggplant salad this morning?” Sabrina questioned. 

“This is grilled eggplant.” He spread some onto a piece of flatbread and held it out to her. “Try it, Spellman.”

Sabrina took the flatbread and bit into it. Her eyes widened. 

“This is so good,” she declared through a mouthful. “So good.” Nick chuckled and helped himself to a piece of flatbread. Next to him, Sabrina took another bit of hers. “Do you think Hilda can make this?”

“Hilda can make anything,” he assured her. He continued to look at her, a smile on his face, eyes shining. 

“What?” Sabrina asked as she chewed. Nick shook his head. 

“Nothing,” he said. “I just love you.” 

She beamed. 

“I love you, too.” 

Nick had ordered her a stuffed pepper. Hilda had made them before, but this was beyond anything she had ever tasted with the herbs and spices the cook had used. She sampled Nick’s hearty beef stew and they split a plate of cabbage rolls. It was easily one of the best meals she had ever had. She was on her way back from a surprisingly clean restroom when she saw him. 

Nick did, in fact, look exactly like his father. 

He was seated at the bar, but there was no avoiding him. He was looking right at her. Still, she paused, her eyes darting to Nick. He was across the room, his back to the bar. Whether he knew his father was there or not, Sabrina didn’t know. They had talked about whether or not they would visit his father. Nick had waffled, Sabrina had suppressed her desire to insist she get to meet him, and together, they had decided to play it by ear. She told herself to go to Nick, to let him know his father was in the tavern and let him decide the next course of action. 

Their eyes met. 

They were Nick’s eyes, but far more haunted. He motioned for her to come to him and she had no choice. She approached him cautiously. 

“You’re Sabrina.” 

He spoke in a raspy voice. His shoulders hunched forward and his dark hair was long, stringy, greasy, and streaked with gray. His clothes were dirty and when she was close enough, she could smell a certain dampness coming off of him. 

“I am.” 

“My boy doesn’t know I’m here. Not yet anyway.” 

“I’m not sure he would care,” Sabrina said frankly. 

“No, I guess he wouldn’t,” the man agreed. He considered her. “He’s never told you my name, has he?” 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head. “We don’t talk about you all that much. I thought you were dead until recently. Most of our coven still does.” 

“I suppose I may as well be dead.” He took a long swill from the amber liquid in front of him. “The name’s Henrik.” 

“Henrik,” Sabrina repeated. 

“I wanted to name Nicholas after me. His mother wanted to name him after her own father. So we gave him my name as his middle name. I reckon that was a good choice. Her father was a far better warlock than I ever was.” 

“Nicholas Henrik,” Sabrina said. She knew Henrik was his middle name. She had asked him in passing when they were first dating. She had even known he was named after his grandfather, a fact he had shared over Winter Solstice. He had never mentioned carrying his father’s name, however. She supposed she couldn’t blame him. “How did you know my name?”. 

“The fact that Nicholas has returned, this time with a girl, the same girl he told everyone about, was news and news travels fast here.” 

“Nick talked about me?” Sabrina asked, surprised by the nugget of information. 

“Here and there,” he nodded. “Never to me, obviously, He didn’t talk to me much in general. But you can’t blame him for that.” He took another drink. “He loves you.” 

“I know,” Sabrina nodded. “I love him, too.” 

“I loved his mother,” Henrik continued. Sabrina wondered if he even heard her. “I know what people say about me. That I’m crazy. But I’m not. Or perhaps I am, at this point. Grief makes you crazy. So does guilt. It’s been ten years, but I only need to close my eyes to be back there.”

Sabrina’s heart broke for the man. She saw it then, what could have become of Nick had he not been brave enough, strong enough, to pull himself out of his darkness. She could sense that Henrik had once been a powerful warlock. He still was, but he had buried his power, buried his heart. Tears burned at her eyes as the mere idea of Nick being anything less than the warlock – the man – he was. 

“I don’t want your sympathy,” Henrik snapped with a growl. “Don’t want it, don’t need it.” 

“These tears aren’t for you,” she told him. “You son is an incredible man. He’s been through the worst things imaginable, but he’s still standing. He’s still good and decent.” She brushed away a tear. “Although I suppose I do feel some pity for you. Pity that you don’t know your son.” 

“I made my choices,” Henrik said. “He made his.” He took still another sip of his drink. Sabrina made to leave. He stopped her with a gentle hand at her elbow. His hand fell away once she stopped. He didn’t meet her eyes. “Look after him.” 

Sabrina’s throat tightened with emotion. She saw it, even if Nick didn’t or couldn’t. His father still loved him. 

“Always.” 

She walked quickly to Nick. He must have sensed her because he turned to look over his shoulder. He frowned when he saw her watery eyes. 

“Sabrina?” He got to his feet and met her several feet away from their table. “What’s wrong?” 

“Nick.”

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. He returned the hug. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked again. “Talk to me, Spellman. What happened?” 

“I just met you dad.” 

“What?” He pulled away and looked towards the bar. He spied the man that had helped give him life. He went on the defense. “What did he say?” Before she could answer, Nick was already taking steps towards him. “I’ll talk to him.” 

“No! Nick.” Sabrina stopped him. He looked at her, waiting. “I just…” She looked up at him, taking in how clear his eyes were, the way his hair, while a little messy from a day out with her, was still coiffed, his clothes clean. He smelled as he always did – like leather and sandalwood. “You look so much like him,” she told him. “And I realized what could have happened to you if you hadn’t been strong enough to pull yourself back together.” 

Nick softened. 

“Come here.” He pulled her back to him and held her close. His eye went to his father. Henrik was watching them with a nostalgic sort of expression. “You sure he didn’t say anything to upset you?” 

“No,” Sabrina shook her head against his chest. “He told me that grief and guilt will make one go crazy, that he loved your mom.” She pulled away and looked up at him, still pondering how grief and guilt could have buried the Scratch man standing in front of her. “He asked me to look out for you.” 

“We look out for each other,” Nick clarified. He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Want to get out of here?” 

Sabrina nodded. 

Together, they told those they had dined with goodbye with a series of hugs for her and hugs and handshakes for Nick. Nick took her hand and led her away, but Sabrina stopped just before they reached the door. Nick looked to her in question. 

“Do you want to…?” she tilted her head in the direction of his father. Nick shook his head. 

“Not tonight. Maybe before we leave. Maybe not. But not tonight.” Sabrina only nodded her agreement. When they reached Danut and Della’s, they found Danut sitting outside, whittling. 

“Welcome back,” he greeted them jovially. “Have a good day?” 

“We did,” Sabrina answered. “Thank you again for hosting us, Danut.” 

“You’re family,” Danut said simply. “Della has turned in for the night – she’s an early to bed, early to rise kind of gal – but she left supplies for an evening tea on the counter. Make sure you tell her I told you so – she thinks I’ll forget to do it.” 

Sabrina giggled. 

“I’ll tell her in the morning,” she promised. “I think I’ll actually go make a cup now, take a shower. Do either of you want a cup?” 

Before they could answer, a loud bang erupted. Sabrina jumped, but both Nick and Danut looked unconcerned. Fireworks filled the air nearby. 

“Is it a holiday?” she wondered. 

“Just a Monday evening,” Danut shrugged. 

“They like to make a bit of noise around here,” Nick explained. “Fireworks are a village favorite.” Another round of fireworks exploded. 

“Della can sleep through that?” Sabrina wondered. “They’re beautiful, but if this is nearly every night…” 

Danut chuckled at her pondering. 

“You get used to it, love,” he said. “But Della soundproofed our bedroom a century ago. One of your mortal bombs could go off and she’d never know. It wasn’t the fireworks that inspired her to charm the room, however. It was my poker nights with the mates. That’s on Thursday, just so you know.” 

“In Greendale, we only have fireworks on the 4th of July and New Year’s,” Sabrina told him. 

“That’s a shame,” Danut said seriously. More fireworks filled the air. Sabrina watched them, unaware that Nick was watching her. “The sky is always filled with beauty. The fireworks just add to it.” 

She watched a few more bangs of fireworks before she excused herself, leaving Nick and Danut outside. Nick took a seat on the stoop next to Danut, content to sit with him while Sabrina showered. Once he had met Danut and realized he was his uncle, they had spent a lot of time like this, Danut whittling, Nick sitting, at first in mostly silence and then talking more and more, fireworks illuminating the background more often than not as he learned about his parents, where he came from, and healed from his own past. 

“You’re doing well,” Danut observed. 

“I am,” Nick confirmed. “I have my moments once in a while, but they’re far less frequent now.” 

“Good,” Danut nodded his approval. “I would have hated to see you wind up like your dad.” 

“Sabrina met him tonight,” Nick told him. “He was at the tavern…” 

“Imagine that,” Danut grumbled. He had no love lost for the man that had murdered his niece and sent his great-nephew into hiding with a werewolf. “She seems alright. He didn’t upset her, did he?” 

“Not in the way you might think,” Nick said, not bothering to share more. Sabrina’s moment with his father felt personal, something that should be kept between them.

“I know I’ve told you before, but Henrik wasn’t always like this.” 

“I know,” Nick nodded. “I have a few decent memories of him. Emphasis on few. Perhaps its selfish of me, but I don’t have much use for him now.” 

“It’s not selfish,” Danut shook his head. “He’s in no shape to be a father. He would be a burden and you have built a life for yourself in that Greendale of yours. You’re not obligated to have a relationship with him.” 

“I know,” Nick agreed. “I’m happy in Greendale.” 

“You’re happy with Sabrina,” Danut observed. 

“We’ve been through a lot, but we somehow made it out on the other side. Here’s to hoping we went through enough over the last year to allow us to have a few years of peace.” 

“Can I give you some advice?” Danut asked. “Man to man? Uncle to nephew?” Nick nodded and waited. “It’s not always going to be smooth sailing. I know you know that, but there will be times when you fight. There will be times when you can’t stand her, no matter how much you love her. Trust me, I love Della more than my own life, but sometimes? Sometimes that woman drives me crazy.” 

Nick chuckled. 

“I find that hard to believe.” Danut was just as smitten with his wife as he was with Sabrina. 

“Oh, it’s true,” Danut assured him. “About every fifty years or so, we have quite the row.” Nick chuckled again. “But we get through it. You know why?” 

“Why?” Nick waited. 

“Because the bones are good.” 

“The bones are good?” Nick questioned. 

“It’s like a house,” Danut explained. “When the bones are good, the rest doesn’t matter.” 

“I like that thought,” Nick said. 

“Just remember that when things get tough down the road. You and Sabrina? You’ve got good bones.” 

“We just had to raze the first attempt,” Nick quipped. Danut chuckled. 

“Sometimes you’ve got to burn it all down and start again,” he agreed. “You’re a good kid, Nicholas. Young man now, I suppose. I know you had your struggles, but I think you’re in for a good life with that witch of yours.” 

“Thank you, Danut,” Nick said. “For – everything.” 

Danut understood what he was alluding to. 

“You’re family,” he said. “Like it or not.” 

Nick laughed as more fireworks filled the air after a hiatus. 

“I’m going to head upstairs,” he said. “I’ll see you and Della in the morning.” 

“Make sure you mention the tea,” Danut said seriously. 

“It will be of my highest priority,” Nick assured him. He wandered upstairs and found Sabrina already in bed. She was sitting upright, propped against the headboard, reading a book, hair damp, pajamas on. Nick noted the teacup on the nightstand. “Danut really wants to make sure Della knows he told us about the tea,” he greeted. 

“I’ll definitely mention it,” Sabrina quipped. She closed the book and put it on the nightstand as Nick sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. “Did you have a good chat with Danut?”

“I think you excused yourself on purpose,” Nick guessed. 

“I thought you might like some time alone with him,” Sabrina admitted. “I can tell that you’re close.” 

Nick rested his hand on her leg over the blankets. 

“He really likes you,” he shared. He smiled a bit. “I think everyone here likes you. Not that that’s surprising. You have that effect on people.” 

“They like me because of you,” Sabrina corrected. “I love seeing you here, Nick. I love watching you interact with your mom’s coven.” She paused. “Your family.” 

“It’s something I didn’t know I needed until I was here,” Nick confessed. He reached out and tucked a chunk of hair behind her ear. “To be clear though, you’re my family, too.” 

“Likewise, Scratch.” 

He leaned in for a kiss. What he intended to be a short, sweet kiss became a longer, intimate exchange. When they parted, Nick rested his forehead against Sabrina’s. 

“I’m going to go change,” he said. “Be right back.” 

Sabrina settled into bed, tired from the day, comfortable, happy. When Nick returned, down to nothing but his boxer briefs, she barely gave him a chance to get into bed before she was snuggling into his arms. 

It started with a simple kiss goodnight. 

One kiss wasn’t enough. 

Sabrina found herself underneath Nick, his lips dancing along her throat while her hands raked through his hair and down his back. She could feel him through their thin clothes, a feeling she was used to by now. They had experimented some in recent weeks, allowing one another to become more intimate, to breach boundaries previously put in place by each of them. Sabrina was certain she was ready for more and had told Nick as much. She had put the ball in his court entirely and wouldn’t push him. 

“I love you,” he breathed as his hand moved under her shirt. He didn’t give her a chance to respond before his lips were back on hers. 

Her shirt came off. This was somewhere they had been a few times now. As Nick’s lips moved along her chest, she sensed the change in him. He had done this before, made her cry out his name. But he moved differently now. There was a confidence in him that hadn’t been there before. 

They continued to kiss one another, to touch each other. As Sabrina tried to catch her breath after Nick’s fingers had worked a magic unrelated to his warlock abilities between her legs, another place they had been a couple of times now, Nick pulled back and looked at her in a contemplative sort of way. 

“Scratch?” she questioned. 

“I’m ready,” he told her with certainty. “I want to make love to you. If you’re ready, of course.” 

“I’m ready,” Sabrina confirmed. Her heart rate picked up. This was the moment she had waited for, fantasied about, especially in the last few months as she and Nick settled into their relationship. “If you are.” She ran a hand through his hair. “Only if you are.” 

“I want you,” Nick said. “I daresay I need you. But I need to set the pace. I need to be in control.” 

Sabrina understood. Nick hadn’t been in control in Hell. He hadn’t been able to stop what happened to him. Right now, his first time of his own desire since then, he needed to be in a position to control what happened. She lifted her head and kissed him. 

“I’m yours,” she assured him. “You set the pace.” 

“To be clear, that doesn’t mean you don’t get a say,” Nick continued, ever the gentleman when it came to her. “If you want to stop or you don’t like something…” 

“Nick.” She quieted him with a hand to his cheek. “I love you. I trust you.” She pecked his lips. “I want you.” 

Her words gave him confidence. 

He took his time for both of their benefits. By the time he entered her, both of them were so tightly wound that only that connection would satisfy them. Sabrina whimpered as her body accepted him and he stilled to give her time to adjust before he began to thrust, slow and gentle at first. She could feel his confidence growing, the remaining hint of tension he always seemed to carry finally leaving his body after all this time. 

It was more than Sabrina had imagined. The initial pain ebbed a bit as she leaned into the connection, the intimacy. Both of them could feel it, that this wasn’t just sex, wasn’t just making love. This was a promise to one another, the final piece of the puzzle that ensured they were forever. 

For Nick, his memories of what happened in Hell didn’t reach him here, not anymore. He hadn’t forgotten, never would, but he had integrated the experience into his being, accepted that he had been violated and recognized that it hadn’t been his fault. Being with Sabrina now was almost like his first time all over again. Except this time, he was with someone he loved, who loved him, someone he had fought for and would always fight for. She, too, had fought for him. He wasn’t alone anymore. 

It took effort for him to hold on until she fell apart. He followed shortly after and collapsed on top of her. They were sticky with sweat, their breath fast, their hearts racing. It took them several minutes to collect themselves again. 

“Are you okay?” Sabrina asked carefully. 

“I am,” Nick confirmed. He lifted his head from where it rested on her chest to look at her. “What about you? How are you?” 

“I’m okay,” she promised him. She chanced a small smile. “That was kind of amazing, Nick.” His returned smile was real, genuine.

“It was,” he agreed. “Something you might like to do again?” 

“It is definitely something I’d like to do again.” 

Nick kissed her, then rolled off her. She snuggled into his side, aware that she could use another shower but unwilling to get out of bed. He seemed just as willing to not let her. 

“That was okay?” he wondered. “I didn’t hurt you?” 

“It hurt at first,” she admitted. “But by the end, it didn’t matter. You made me feel – incredible.” She smiled at him. “It really was perfect, Nick.” She ran a hand through his hair. “It was okay for you?” 

Nick knew what she was asking. With everything he had gone through, she was hyper aware of his needs. She wanted to make sure he was okay after crossing that particular boundary, the last one between them. 

“Being with you was more than I imagined it would be,” he said honestly. “Once I was clean and sober, I realized that I used sex as a crutch, a coping mechanism. Both before Hell and after. I promised myself that I would only ever be with someone again out of love. And I love you, Sabrina. Beyond anything I could ever have dreamed of.” 

“You mean everything to me, Nick,” she told him. “It’s you and me. I love you.” 

“Always,” Nick promised. 

“Always,” Sabrina repeated. 

She got comfortable once more. Nick continued to run his hand through her hair. She drifted off to sleep, but Nick stayed awake a little longer, simply relishing in the feel of her in his arms and the sated feeling that came after sex. 

Danut was right. 

He and Sabrina would be just fine. 

Because the bones were good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Romania has been near the top of my bucket list for a long time. A bit jealous of Sabrina, really. 
> 
> I hope you all loved this piece as much as I loved writing it. Those of you who follow me on Tumblr (don't get excited, I'm not great at Tumblr) got a sneak peek at something I'm working on to share soon. I SWORE I wasn't going to write another fanfic for a bit. SWORE IT. But then I got inspired... And, well, my soon-to-be screenwriting professors keep telling me I need to write every single day, so... 
> 
> Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading, commenting, kudoing... I adore you all. 
> 
> XOXO 
> 
> Sarah

**Author's Note:**

> Nick... He's been gone from Greendale for a few months (more on that later), but the first thing he noticed when he got back? Sabrina isn't - Sabrina. He came back from wherever he was with a purpose, even if he did get swept into Sabrina's drama almost right away. 
> 
> I've also been dying for Nick and Ambrose to partner up. Those two as a tag team feels invincible. And maybe a little dangerous? They're going to be quite the dynamic duo. 
> 
> I've had some great Instagram DM convos with a few of you about Part 3 and our hopes for Part 4. I see a lot of potential for what they can do with Nick's character and I may be biased, but I LOVE him in this fic. He's out for redemption and it's going to be a ride. I'm excited to share my take on Sabrina, too. I didn't love her character in part 3. 
> 
> Thoughts on chapter one? Guesses on where Nick has been? On what's going to happen? Leave me a comment and let me know! 
> 
> (And if you want in on the Instagram DMs - @SarahWyland)


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